(Bloomberg) — The unemployment rate for Black Americans rose to 7.1% last month, even as the overall labor market improved and the ratio for White workers dropped closer to pre-pandemic levels.
The increase in Black unemployment was driven by women, who saw their rate jump to 6.2% from 4.9% in November. Meanwhile the ratio for White female workers declined to 3.1%, the lowest since the Covid-19 crisis started.
Overall, the jobless rate for African Americans ended 2021 at more than double that of Whites, which decreased to 3.2% from 3.7% in November, a Labor Department report showed Friday.
Read More: U.S. Adds Fewer Jobs Than Forecast, Unemployment Rate Falls
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