Job seekers talk to a recruiter at the Albany Career Fair in Latham, New York, on October 2, 2024.
Angus Mordaunt | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The unemployment rate rose sharply among Black women in November.
The overall unemployment rate rose slightly last month to 4.2% from 4.1% in October, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. But some groups saw greater increases in unemployment rates than others.
Black women saw the largest increase, with the unemployment rate rising to 6% from 4.9%. In comparison, the unemployment rate for white women rose slightly to 3.4%, compared to 3.3% in October.
“The increase for black women was more pronounced than for white women,” said Kevin Raines, a senior fellow and research advisor at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.
Black workers as a group also saw the highest unemployment rate last month, which jumped to 6.4% from 5.7%. For black men, the unemployment rate was 6%, but remained steady at 3.5% for white men.
“This is a broader picture of a gradually slowing labor market that is still relatively strong by recent historical standards, but less able to deliver the gains for the most marginalized workers that we saw immediately after the pandemic,” Raines added, highlighting the month's volatility. -Monthly data.
The overall labor force participation rate – a measure of the population working or looking for work – fell to 62.5%. For Black women, the number dropped to 62.3% in November, compared to 62.6% the previous month. The rate fell to 68.7% last month, down from 69.3% among black men.
Other demographic groups that also saw unemployment rates rise last month include Hispanic men. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in November, compared to 4% in October.
