Black unemployment was 7.7 percent in January

(Special from NorthStarNews Today) — The nation’s nonfarm businesses added 227,000 jobs in January, President Barack Obama’s last month in office of his eight-year term, but despite the strong growth in jobs, Black unemployment improved very little.

The Black jobless rate was 7.7 percent in January, down from 7.8 percent in December. This compares with an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent for Asians. The jobless rate for whites was 4.4 percent and it was 5.9 percent for Hispanics.

January’s unemployment rate for Black men 20 years was 7.3 percent, down from 7.6 percent in December. The jobless rate for Black women 20 and older was 6.7 percent, down from 6.8 percent in December.

The overall unemployment rate was 4.8 percent as employment increased in retail trade, construction and financial activities.

This article originally published in the February 13, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.