Black Worker `Seasonally Adjusted" Unemployment Rate: Still 9.2 Percent In September 2015

In September 2015, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all Black workers in the United States (youth, male and female) was still 9.2 percent; while the jobless rate for Black male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 8.9 percent during the same month, according to the “seasonally adjusted” Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 31.3 to 31.5 percent between August and September 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Black female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 8 percent in September 2015.

The official “seasonally adjusted” number of unemployed Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased by 9,000 (from 216,000 to 225,000) between August and September 2015; while the official “seasonally adjusted” number of Black female workers over 20 years-of-age who still had jobs decreased by 31,000 (from 9,125,000 to 9,094,000) during the same period. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” number of all Black workers (youth, male and female) not in the U.S. labor force increased by 70,000 (from 12,050,000 to 12,130,000) between August and September 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” number of Black female workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 52,000 (from 9,934,000 to 9,882,000) during the same period..

In September 2015, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 6.3 percent; while the “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all Latino workers (youth, male and female) in the United States was still 6.4 percent during that same month. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” number of Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 106,000 (from 10,606,000 to 10,500,000) between August and September 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” number of Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age who still had jobs decreased by 25,000 (from 9,859,000 to 9,834,000) during the same period.

The “seasonally adjusted” number of unemployed Latino male workers over 20 years-of-age increased by 39,000 (from 757,000 to 796,000) between August and September 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Latino males over 20 years-of-age increased from 5.3 to 5.5 percent during that same period. In addition, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latino youth between 16 and 19 years-of-age was still 18.6 percent in September 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” number of Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 24,000 (from 1,118,000 to 1,094,000) during the same period..

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age was still 13.9 percent in September 2015; while the official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all youths (Black, Latino, white and Asian-American) between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States was still 16.3 percent during that same month

The “seasonally adjusted” number of Asian-American workers  in the U.S. labor force decreased by 70,000 (from 9,110,000 to 9,040,000) between August and September 2015; while the unemployment rate for Asian-American workers increased from 3.5 to 3.6 percent during the same period, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data.

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for white female workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States was still 3.9 percent in September 2015; while the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 4.1 percent during that same month. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all white workers (youth, male and female) was still 4.4 percent in September; while the “seasonally adjusted” total number of white workers who still had jobs decreased by 135,000 (from 117,903,000 to 117,768,000) between August and September 2015. The “seasonally adjusted” total number of white workers in the U.S. labor force also decreased by 258,000 (from 123,390,000 to 123,132,000) during the same period..

Between August and September 2015, the “seasonally adjusted” number of female workers over 16 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 280,000 (from 73,593,000 to 73,313,000); while the official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all female workers over 16 years-of-age in the United States was still 5 percent in September 2015.

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 4.6 percent in September 2015; while, the official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all male workers over 16 years-of-age in the United States was still 5.1 percent during that same month. In addition, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 4.7 percent during that same month.

Between August and September 2015, the “seasonally adjusted” total number of workers in the United States who still had jobs decreased by 236,000 (from 149,036,000 to 148,800,000); while the “seasonally adjusted” total number of workers in the U.S. labor force decreased by 350,000 (from 157,065,000 to 156,715,000) during the same period. In addition, a total of 7,915,000 workers in the United States were still officially unemployed in September, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data; and the “seasonally adjusted”” unemployment rate for all U.S. workers (male, female and youth) was still  5.1 percent during that same month. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ October 2, 2015 press release:

“….The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.1 percent….Mining employment fell…The number of unemployed persons (7.9 million) changed little…The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 2.1 million in September and accounted for 26.6 percent of the unemployed….

“In September, 1.9 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 635,000 discouraged workers in September, little changed from a year earlier. Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them…

“….Employment in mining continued to decline in September (-10,000), with losses concentrated in support activities for mining (-7,000). Mining employment has declined by 102,000 since…December 2014.

“Employment in….construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and government, showed little or no change over the month….

“….Employment gains in July and August combined were 59,000 less than previously reported….”