Figure F

Unemployment rate by race and gender, 1978–2019

Year Black men, non-Hispanic White men, non-Hispanic Black women, non-Hispanic White women, non-Hispanic
1978 11.7% 4.4% 14.3% 6.1%
1979 11.2% 4.3% 13.6% 5.8%
1980 14.4% 6.0% 14.8% 6.4%
1981 15.9% 6.3% 15.9% 6.7%
1982 20.0% 8.5% 18.2% 8.0%
1983 20.3% 8.4% 19.0% 7.6%
1984 16.3% 6.2% 15.9% 6.3%
1985 15.3% 5.7% 15.0% 6.0%
1986 14.6% 5.6% 14.4% 5.7%
1987 12.8% 5.1% 13.3% 5.0%
1988 11.7% 4.4% 12.0% 4.4%
1989 11.6% 4.2% 11.3% 4.2%
1990 11.9% 4.6% 11.0% 4.4%
1991 13.1% 6.0% 12.1% 5.3%
1992 15.2% 6.5% 13.1% 5.6%
1993 13.8% 5.8% 12.2% 5.2%
1994 12.0% 4.9% 11.1% 4.7%
1995 10.8% 4.5% 10.2% 4.4%
1996 11.2% 4.3% 10.0% 4.1%
1997 10.3% 3.9% 10.0% 3.8%
1998 8.9% 3.5% 9.0% 3.4%
1999 8.2% 3.3% 7.8% 3.3%
2000 8.1% 3.1% 7.2% 3.2%
2001 9.3% 3.9% 8.0% 3.6%
2002 10.8% 5.0% 9.7% 4.5%
2003 11.6% 5.3% 10.0% 4.4%
2004 11.1% 4.7% 9.8% 4.3%
2005 10.7% 4.2% 9.5% 4.0%
2006 9.6% 3.9% 8.5% 3.8%
2007 9.2% 4.0% 7.5% 3.7%
2008 11.4% 5.0% 9.0% 4.4%
2009 17.5% 8.8% 12.4% 6.7%
2010 18.4% 8.9% 13.7% 7.0%
2011 17.8% 7.7% 14.1% 6.7%
2012 15.4% 6.8% 12.7% 6.3%
2013 14.2% 6.3% 12.2% 5.6%
2014 12.5% 5.1% 10.6% 4.7%
2015 10.4% 4.3% 9.0% 4.0%
2016 9.1% 4.1% 8.0% 3.8%
2017 8.3% 3.6% 6.9% 3.4%
2018 7.1% 3.3% 6.0% 3.0%
2019 6.7% 3.1% 5.6% 2.9%
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Source: 1978–2019 series by race & ethnicity, EPI analysis of monthly CPS microdata, downloaded from EPI SWA Data Library.

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