October 3, 2010

Black Unemployment Dips Slightly to 16.1% in September 2010

The negative economic news continues to flow from Washington DC ... and it is hitting the Black community harder than anyone.  A new employment report released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows us that the unemployment rate for African Americans dipped slightly from 16.3% in August 2010 to 16.1% in September 2010.

Overall, the number of unemployed persons, at 14.8 million, was essentially unchanged in September.  The unemployment rate didn't change over the past month ... it's now 9.6%. There was some positive news with private employers hiring increasing by 64,000 jobs last month.  Since its most recent low in December 2009, private-sector employment has risen by 827,000.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) today released the following statement on the September jobs report:
“When President Obama took office, we were on the verge of another Great Depression, losing 800,000 private sector jobs a month. The September jobs report demonstrates that we have turned our economy around and are creating jobs. We would like to see the growth at a faster pace, but you can’t discount the numbers—this year alone, we added more private sector jobs than during eight years of Republican Majority and the Bush Presidency.

“While we still have a long way to go before our economic recovery is complete, Democrats are committed to doing everything possible to move our country forward. Our Make it in America agenda has focused on rebuilding the economy here at home, cutting taxes and boosting lending for small businesses that will drive our economy forward, closing tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas, and renewing our commitment to boosting the domestic manufacturing sector."
What do these numbers mean to you?

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