Black Male Worker Unemployment Rate: 13.6 Percent In April 2012

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Black male workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States was still 13.6 percent in April 2012; while the jobless rate for white male workers over 20 years-of-age increased from 7.3 to 7.4 percent between March and April 2012, according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In addition, the unemployment rate for white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age also increased from 22.5 to 22.8 percent between March and April 2012; while the official jobless rate for Black youths between the ages of 16 and 19 years-of-age was still 38.2 percent in April 2012.

Between March and April 2012, the total number of Black male workers over 20 years-of-age with jobs in the United States decreased by 83,000 (from 7,137,000 to 7,054,000); while the total number of Black male workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 121,000 (from 8,283,000 to 8,162,000) during the same period.

The total number of all white workers in the United States with jobs also decreased by 292,000 (from 114,697,000 to 114,355,000) between March and April 2012; while the total number of white workers in the U.S. labor force decreased by 314,000 (from 123,713,000 to 123,499,000) during the same period. And the total number of unemployed white workers in the United States increased by 128,000 (from 9,016,000 to 9,144,000) between March and April 2012.

The total number of white male workers over 20 years-of-age with jobs decreased by 146,000 (from 60,192,000 to 60,046,000) between March and April 2012; while the number of white male workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 142,000 (from 64,552,000 to 64,410,000) during the same period. In addition, between March and April 2012 the total number of white female workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force also decreased by 38,000 (from 54,473,000 to 54,435,000); while the total number of white female workers over 20 years-of-age with jobs decreased by 154,000 (from 50,873,000 to 50,719,000) during the same period. And the total number of unemployed white female workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States increased by 116,000 (from 3,600,000 to 3,716,000) between March and April 2012.

The total number of white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age with jobs decreased by 41,000 (from 3,632,000 to 3,591,000) between March and April 2012; while the number of unemployed white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased by 7,000 (from 1,056,000 to 1,063,000) during the same period.

The total number of all Black workers in the U.S. labor force decreased by 153,000 (from 18,427,000 to 18,274,000) between March and April 2012; while the number of Black female workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 30,000 (from 9,473,000 to 9,443,000) during the same period. And the official unemployment rate for Black female workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States was 10.8 percent in April 2012; while the official unemployment rate for all Black workers (youth, male and female) was 13 percent in that same month.

According to the “seasonally adjusted” data, the official unemployment rate for all Latino workers in the United States was still 10.3 percent in April 2012; while the total number of unemployed Latino workers increased by 7,000 (from 2,491,000 to 2,498,000) between March and April 2012. And, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data, the jobless rate for Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age was still 26.1 percent in April 2012; while the total number of Asian-American workers with jobs in the United States decreased by 54,000 (from 7,607,000 to 7,553,000) between March and April 2012.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 5, 2012 press release:

“…The unemployment rate was little changed at 8.1 percent…Employment…declined in transportation and warehousing…The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was little changed at 5.1 million in April. These individuals made up 41.3 percent of the unemployed…The civilian labor force participation rate declined in April to 63.6 percent…The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was essentially unchanged in April at 7.9 million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.


“In April, 2.4 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force...These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.


“Among the marginally attached, there were 968,000 discouraged workers in April…Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them…


“…Transportation and warehousing lost jobs over the month…Transportation and warehousing lost 17,000 jobs in April, with employment declines in transit and ground passenger transportation (-11,000) and in couriers and messengers (-7,000). Employment in…mining and logging, construction, wholesale trade, information, financial activities, and government changed little in April…”