The unemployment rate for Black women saw a significant increase in November. The overall jobless rate inched up to 4.2% from 4.1% in October, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, certain groups faced more substantial rises in unemployment compared to others.
Black women had the most notable increase, with their jobless rate rising to 6% from 4.9%. In contrast, the jobless rate for white women slightly increased to 3.4% from 3.3% in October.
Kevin Rinz, a senior fellow and research advisor at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, noted that the increase for Black women was more significant than for white women. The overall unemployment rate for Black workers rose to 6.4% from 5.7% last month. Among Black men, the jobless rate reached 6%, while it remained at 3.5% for white men.
Rinz highlighted that the labor market is gradually cooling but remains relatively strong historically, although it is less effective in providing gains for marginalized workers compared to the immediate post-pandemic period. He also pointed out the volatility in month-to-month data.
The overall labor force participation rate, which measures the population employed or seeking work, decreased to 62.5%. For Black women, the rate dropped to 62.3% in November, down from 62.6% the previous month. Among Black men, the rate decreased to 68.7% from 69.3%.
In addition to Black women, other demographic groups experienced a rise in unemployment in November, including Hispanic men, whose jobless rate increased to 4.4% from 4% in October.
