Laid Off More, Hired Less: Black Workers in the COVID-19 Recession

When the Great Recession began, Black workers’ unemployment rate increased to double digits and remained that high for more than six years. In comparison, the unemployment rate among white workers never reached double digits during the Great Recession or its recovery. Despite this history, the beginning of 2020 arrived with positive news: The unemployment rate among Black workers was the lowest ever (although still double that of white workers). Of course, from March to April everything changed for everyone because of the pandemic. In April, Black workers’ unemployment rate was 16.7% compared to a rate of 14.2% for white workers. #workforce #covid-19 #racialequity