The unemployment rate for black Americans fell below 6.0% for the first time in history earlier this year. The historic dip in joblessness was a benchmark of progress in the continued pursuit of racial equality in the United States — and a reminder of the unique challenges black Americans face every day.
The black unemployment rate has hovered above the overall unemployment rate by several percentage points since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking it over 40 years ago. Racial disparities in America do not stop with the labor market.
The median annual income among black households in the United States is just $36,651, about $24,000 shy of the median income among white households. Black Americans are also less likely to own a home, less likely to have a college education, and five times more likely to be incarcerated than white Americans.
