The jobless rate among African Americans has consistently been higher than that of white workers and, in the latest jobs report, that has not changed. Unemployment rose again in February among Black people, and continues to be the highest among all racial groups in the U.S.
The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported. For that month, the Black unemployment rate rose to 7.7% — higher than the rates for whites (3.7%), Latinos (5.2%), and Asians (4.8%).
It was noticeably higher than in February 2025, when Black unemployment was 6.0%, a gap of 1.7 percentage points, according to Dr. Gabrielle Smith Finnie, a senior policy analyst with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which tracks jobs data for Black communities. “The fluctuations in the labor market and job growth really do create instability for the workforce and disproportionately impact Black workers,” said Dr. Smith Finnie.
Overall statistics showed that the average hourly earnings of workers who do have jobs increased 0.4% monthly and 3.8% yearly, outpacing inflation — but according to a recent InvestorsObserver study, those increased earnings don’t go that far, and people have to work harder than ever to afford basic necessities.
“[P]eople nationwide now have to work up to 25 extra days a year just to cover rent, groceries, and save for a used car — time stolen from vacations, kids’ soccer games, and weekends off,” the study said. “In 2007, the average American earned $20.75 per hour. By 2025, that figure had risen to an average of roughly $34.35 per hour — a 65.6% increase that, on paper, sounds significant.
“The problem is that the cost of basic necessities didn’t just rise 65.6%. They ran far ahead of it.”
In the New York area, the financial news website InvestorsObserver.com found that workers are having to labor an extra 18.4 days a year just to be able to afford their housing. It also found that average hourly earnings increased by 38.6% from 2007 to 2025, ranking New York State 49th nationwide. However, average rent prices increased by 93.19%, placing New York at 14th among the biggest rent increases. When comparing rent price growth to average hourly earnings growth from 2007 to 2025, the difference was 54.59%, ranking New York at second — only behind Delaware, where the gap was 59.03%.
Having to work more days to afford the same things as nearly 20 years ago shows what Black workers are having to put up with as unemployment climbs. In February, unemployment for Black women rose to 7.7%, up from 6.5% in January, while Black men improved to 7.6%, down from 8.1%. Even with that decline, though, Black men remained above the national rate, and Black women matched the overall Black unemployment rate.
The unemployment rate for young Black workers ages 16 to 24 increased to 14.7% in February, up from 13.7% in January, according to the Joint Center’s analysis of BLS data. The jobless rate for all young workers also rose, from 9.4% to 9.7%.
Smith Finnie said the February jobs report should be read as more than a monthly fluctuation. The reality for Black workers, she said, is that economic “stability and progress remain unpredictable given the instability in the labor market.”