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According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment is trending down. Yes, it’s good news for the country as a whole. But while news outlets report certain job markets as sure picks for the those looking to relocate during the economic uptick, broader statistics tell a more accurate story. Namely, Black and Latinx people still bear the brunt of unemployment woes, even is states where jobs are up. Check out the BLS-informed list for job stats in May 2018, which features a few cities from the same states, and compare it the Economic Policy Institute’s stats for people of color and state unemployment. CASSIUS points out some of the startling highlights below.
1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California (No. 1 on the list)
Number of Employed: 1,089,070
Jobless rate in May 2018: 2.4%
Annual mean wage: $78,990
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the state of California’s Black unemployment rate was 6.7%, Hispanic unemployment was 5.5% and White unemployment was at 4.1% in 2017.
2 Odessa, Texas (No. 2 on the list)
Number of Employed: 68,280
Jobless rate in May 2018: 2.8%
Annual mean wage: $47,160
According to the EPI, the state of Texas’ unemployment rate for Blacks was 7.8%, Hispanics 5.2% and Whites 3.7% in 2017.
3 Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina (No. 5 on the list)
Number of Employed: 336,560
Jobless rate: 2.3%
Annual mean wage: $44,500
According to the EPI, the state of South Carolina’s unemployment rate for Blacks was 7.1% and Whites 3.1% in 2017. (The rate for Hispanics was not reported.)
4 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia (No. 6 on the list)
Number of Employed: 69,370
Jobless rate: 2.9%
Annual mean wage: $42,960
According to the EPI, the state for Virginia’s unemployment rate for Blacks was 5.4%, Hispanics 3.3% and Whites 3.1% in 2017.
5 Ann Arbor, Michigan (No. 8 on the list)
Number of Employed: 213,990
Jobless rate: 2.8%
Annual mean wage: $56,160
According to the EPI, the state of Michigan’s unemployment rate or Blacks was 7.1% and Whites was 4.2% in 2017. Hispanics are 5.1% of the population in Michigan.
