To be classified as unemployed, a person must:
- Not have worked in the week specified for the survey.
- Have actively sought work sometime during the four weeks preceding the survey.
- Be currently available to take a suitable job.
In November 2005, 1.8 million (10.6%) African-Americans in the civilian labor force were unemployed, a proportion more than 2.5 times higher than the white population. (See Table 4.1.) Among Hispanics, 1.2 million (6%) Hispanics in the civilian labor force were unemployed. (See Table 4.2.) The lowest unemployment rate was among Asians and Pacific Islanders. Approximately 239,000 (3.6%) Asians and Pacific Islanders in the civilian labor force were unemployed in November 2005. (See Table 4.1.)
African-Americans
Historically, African-American workers have participated in the labor force in larger proportions than whites, primarily because African-American women were more likely to be working than their white counterparts. The increased entry of white women into the labor force since the 1970s, however, has narrowed the gap between the two races. The U.S. Department of Labor (February 2003, http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab2.htm) reports that in 1972 twenty-six million (42.7%) white women participated in the labor force, compared with 3.6 million (51.2%) African-American women. By November 2005, 53.1 million (59.9%) white women over age twenty were in the civilian labor force, which was still proportionately lower than the 8.7 million (64.9%) African-American women over age twenty who participated in the labor force. (See Table 4.1.)
Conversely, the labor force participation rate of African-American men twenty years and older has declined since the 1970s. According to the Department of Labor (February 2003, http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab2.htm), in 1972, 4.4 million (78.5%) African-American men twenty years and older were employed; in 2005 7.6 million were employed (dropping the rate to 70.3%). In comparison, 63.8 million (76.1%) white men twenty years and older were in the civilian labor force in 2005. The overall participation rate for all African-Americans (men and women) was 64.1% (17.1 million) in 2005, compared with 66.3% (122.8 million) among all whites. (See Table 4.1.)
Although unemployment rates rise and fall with the strength of the economy, for several decades the unemployment rates for African-Americans have run twice as high than for whites. Often having fewer marketable skills and less education than whites, African-Americans are more likely to remain unemployed for longer periods, especially during a recession. As a result, they are more likely to be labeled as "long-term unemployed" (those without work for at least twenty-seven weeks).
In November 2005 the unemployment rate for African-American men twenty years and older (705,000, 9.3%) was nearly triple that of white men (2.3 million, 3.7%) in the same age group. African-American women age twenty and older (791,000, 9.1%) had more than twice the unemployment rate of white women twenty years and older (2.1 million, 3.9%). (See Table 4.1.)
Given the difficulties many African-Americans encounter when trying to find employment, many of them have stopped looking for jobs because they do not think they can find them. In this case they are classified as "discouraged workers" (people not in the labor force who want jobs but have stopped looking for them). Discouraged workers are not included among the unemployment figures.
Hispanic Americans
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began maintaining annual employment data on Hispanics in 1973. In November 2005, 20.2 million (68.4%) Hispanics were employed or actively looking for work. (See Table 4.2.) As of the fourth quarter of 2005 Mexican Americans had the highest overall participation rate (12.8 million, 68.7%), followed by Cuban Americans (792,000, 62.6%) and Puerto Ricans (1.6 million, 62%). Men twenty years and older in all three groups had a much higher labor force participation rate than did women of the same age. Among Mexican Americans, 7.4 million (85.8%) men and 4.5 million (56.5%) women participated in the labor force; among Cuban Americans, 439,000 (74.9%) men and 322,000 (52.8%) women participated in the labor force; and among Puerto Ricans, 841,000 (74.8%) men and 712,000 (56.1%) women participated in the labor force. (See Table 4.3.)
The unemployment rate for Hispanics in November 2005 was 6% (1.2 million). (See Table 4.2.) The unemployment rate varies among Hispanic people depending on country of origin. In the fourth quarter of 2005 the Puerto Rican-origin population had the highest rate of unemployment at 7% (115,000). Mexican Americans had an unemployment rate of 6.2% (816,000), and Cuban Americans had the lowest rate of unemployment at 3% (24,000). (See Table 4.3.)
Asians and Pacific Islanders
In November 2005, 6.6 million (66.1%) Asians and Pacific Islanders age sixteen and over were in the civilian labor force. (See Table 4.1.) In 2004, 2.8 million (59.5%) Asian-American women and 3.3 million (78.4%) Asian-American men age twenty and older were in the labor force. A higher percentage of Asian-American men age TABLE 4.1 Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age, 2004–05twenty and older were participating in the labor force than either white men (62.9 million, 76.2%) or African-American men (7.4 million, 70.9%). However, a lower percentage of Asian-American women age twenty and older were participating in the labor force than either white women (52.2 million, 59.7%) or African-American women (8.5 million, 64.2%). (See Table 4.4.)
| TABLE 4.1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age, 2004–05 | |||||||||
| [Numbers in thousands] | |||||||||
| Employment status, race, sex, and age | Not seasonally adjusted | Seasonally adjusteda | |||||||
| Nov. 2004 | Oct. 2005 | Nov. 2005 | Nov. 2004 | July 2005 | Aug. 2005 | Sept. 2005 | Oct. 2005 | Nov. 2005 | |
| White | |||||||||
| Civilian noninstitutional population | 183,340 | 185,028 | 185,187 | 183,340 | 184,490 | 184,669 | 184,851 | 185,028 | 185,187 |
| Civilian labor force | 121,590 | 122,900 | 122,880 | 121,606 | 122,383 | 122,668 | 122,817 | 122,797 | 122,839 |
| Participation rate | 66.3 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.3 | 66.3 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.3 |
| Employed | 116,247 | 117,898 | 117,921 | 115,966 | 117,149 | 117,471 | 117,317 | 117,356 | 117,580 |
| Employment-population ratio | 63.4 | 63.7 | 63.7 | 63.3 | 63.5 | 63.6 | 63.5 | 63.4 | 63.5 |
| Unemployed | 5,342 | 5,002 | 4,959 | 5,640 | 5,234 | 5,197 | 5,500 | 5,441 | 5,259 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| Not in labor force | 61,751 | 62,128 | 62,307 | 61,735 | 62,107 | 62,001 | 62,034 | 62,231 | 62,348 |
| Men, 20 years and over | |||||||||
| Civilian labor force | 63,264 | 64,041 | 63,896 | 63,225 | 63,700 | 63,894 | 63,824 | 63,903 | 63,834 |
| Participation rate | 76.2 | 76.4 | 76.1 | 76.2 | 76.2 | 76.4 | 76.2 | 76.2 | 76.1 |
| Employed | 60,742 | 61,871 | 61,674 | 60,565 | 61,353 | 61,510 | 61,248 | 61,457 | 61,488 |
| Employment-population ratio | 73.2 | 73.8 | 73.5 | 73.0 | 73.4 | 73.5 | 73.1 | 73.3 | 73.3 |
| Unemployed | 2,522 | 2,170 | 2,223 | 2,660 | 2,346 | 2,384 | 2,576 | 2,446 | 2,346 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Women, 20 years and over | |||||||||
| Civilian labor force | 52,587 | 53,164 | 53,238 | 52,443 | 52,757 | 52,762 | 52,973 | 52,990 | 53,056 |
| Participation rate | 59.9 | 60.1 | 60.1 | 59.8 | 59.8 | 59.8 | 59.9 | 59.9 | 59.9 |
| Employed | 50,585 | 51,090 | 51,292 | 50,318 | 50,674 | 50,781 | 50,850 | 50,836 | 50,972 |
| Employment-population ratio | 57.7 | 57.8 | 58.0 | 57.4 | 57.4 | 57.5 | 57.5 | 57.5 | 57.6 |
| Unemployed | 2,002 | 2,074 | 1,946 | 2,125 | 2,083 | 1,981 | 2,123 | 2,154 | 2,084 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Both sexes, 16 to 19 years | |||||||||
| Civilian labor force | 5,738 | 5,696 | 5,746 | 5,938 | 5,926 | 6,012 | 6,020 | 5,904 | 5,949 |
| Participation rate | 45.5 | 44.8 | 45.1 | 47.0 | 46.7 | 47.3 | 47.3 | 46.4 | 46.7 |
| Employed | 4,920 | 4,937 | 4,955 | 5,083 | 5,121 | 5,181 | 5,219 | 5,063 | 5,121 |
| Employment-population ratio | 39.0 | 38.8 | 38.9 | 40.3 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.8 | 40.2 |
| Unemployed | 818 | 758 | 791 | 855 | 805 | 832 | 801 | 841 | 828 |
| Unemployment rate | 14.3 | 13.3 | 13.8 | 14.4 | 13.6 | 13.8 | 13.3 | 14.2 | 13.9 |
| Black or African American | |||||||||
| Civilian noninstitutional population | 26,239 | 26,663 | 26,705 | 26,239 | 26,526 | 26,572 | 26,618 | 26,663 | 26,705 |
| Civilian labor force | 16,814 | 17,255 | 17,197 | 16,728 | 17,190 | 17,154 | 17,087 | 17,158 | 17,124 |
| Participation rate | 64.1 | 64.7 | 64.4 | 63.8 | 64.8 | 64.6 | 64.2 | 64.4 | 64.1 |
| Employed | 15,029 | 15,742 | 15,395 | 14,913 | 15,561 | 15,499 | 15,480 | 15,591 | 15,302 |
| Employment-population ratio | 57.3 | 59.0 | 57.6 | 56.8 | 58.7 | 58.3 | 58.2 | 58.5 | 57.3 |
| Unemployed | 1,784 | 1,512 | 1,802 | 1,814 | 1,628 | 1,655 | 1,607 | 1,567 | 1,823 |
| Unemployment rate | 10.6 | 8.8 | 10.5 | 10.8 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 10.6 |
| Not in labor force | 9,425 | 9,408 | 9,509 | 9,512 | 9,336 | 9,417 | 9,531 | 9,505 | 9,581 |
| Men, 20 years and over | |||||||||
| Civilian labor force | 7,544 | 7,732 | 7,634 | 7,485 | 7,765 | 7,739 | 7,680 | 7,673 | 7,551 |
| Participation rate | 71.6 | 72.1 | 71.1 | 71.0 | 72.8 | 72.4 | 71.8 | 71.6 | 70.3 |
| Employed | 6,757 | 7,107 | 6,910 | 6,697 | 7,116 | 7,077 | 7,017 | 7,022 | 6,846 |
| Employment-population ratio | 64.1 | 66.3 | 64.3 | 63.5 | 66.7 | 66.2 | 65.6 | 65.5 | 63.7 |
| Unemployed | 788 | 625 | 724 | 788 | 650 | 662 | 664 | 650 | 705 |
| Unemployment rate | 10.4 | 8.1 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 9.3 |
| Women, 20 years and over | |||||||||
| Civilian labor force | 8,471 | 8,779 | 8,735 | 8,438 | 8,609 | 8,604 | 8,674 | 8,728 | 8,732 |
| Participation rate | 63.9 | 65.3 | 64.9 | 63.6 | 64.3 | 64.2 | 64.6 | 64.9 | 64.9 |
| Employed | 7,719 | 8,123 | 7,960 | 7,675 | 7,900 | 7,902 | 7,970 | 8,060 | 7,941 |
| Employment-population ratio | 58.2 | 60.4 | 59.2 | 57.9 | 59.0 | 59.0 | 59.4 | 60.0 | 59.0 |
| Unemployed | 752 | 655 | 775 | 763 | 709 | 702 | 704 | 668 | 791 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.9 | 7.5 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 9.1 |
Unemploymet figures for Asians and Pacific Islanders are similar to those for non-Hispanic whites. In November 2005 the unemployment rate for Asians and Pacific Islanders was 3.6% (239,000), slightly lower than the 4% (4.9 million) figure for the white population. (See Table 4.1.) The low rate of unemployment among Asians and Pacific Islanders can be attributed, in part, to their
TABLE 4.1 Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age, 2004–05 [CONTINUED]
| TABLE 4.1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age, 2004–05 [CONTINUED] | |||||||||
| [Numbers in thousands] | |||||||||
| Employment status, race, sex, and age | Not seasonally adjusted | Seasonally adjusteda | |||||||
| Nov. 2004 | Oct. 2005 | Nov. 2005 | Nov. 2004 | July 2005 | Aug. 2005 | Sept. 2005 | Oct. 2005 | Nov. 2005 | |
| aThe population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted columns. | |||||||||
| bData not available. | |||||||||
| SOURCE:"Table A-2. Employment Status of the Civilian Population by Race, Sex, and Age,"in News Release, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2, 2005, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_12022005.pdf (accessed December 27, 2005) | |||||||||
| Both sexes, 16 to 19 years | |||||||||
| Civilian labor force | 799 | 744 | 827 | 804 | 816 | 810 | 732 | 757 | 841 |
| Participation rate | 32.7 | 29.7 | 32.9 | 33.0 | 32.9 | 32.6 | 29.4 | 30.3 | 33.5 |
| Employed | 554 | 512 | 524 | 542 | 545 | 521 | 493 | 508 | 515 |
| Employment-population ratio | 22.7 | 20.5 | 20.9 | 22.2 | 22.0 | 20.9 | 19.8 | 20.3 | 20.5 |
| Unemployed | 244 | 232 | 303 | 263 | 270 | 290 | 239 | 249 | 326 |
| Unemployment rate | 30.6 | 31.1 | 36.6 | 32.7 | 33.1 | 35.8 | 32.6 | 32.9 | 38.8 |
| Asian | |||||||||
| Civilian noninstutional population | 9,655 | 9,931 | 10,044 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Civilian labor force | 6,416 | 6,591 | 6,642 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Participation rate | 66.5 | 66.4 | 66.1 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Employed | 6,149 | 6,387 | 6,403 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Employment-population ratio | 63.7 | 64.3 | 63.7 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Unemployed | 267 | 203 | 239 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2 | 3.1 | 3.6 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
| Not in labor force | 3,239 | 3,340 | 3,403 | b | b | b | b | b | b |
Older Asians and Pacific Islanders tend to work longer because of the strong work ethic in Asian cultures and frequently because of economic need. Often they are employed in family businesses that do not offer early retirement packages. Depending on the time of their immigration and their work history, Asians and Pacific Islanders age sixty-five and older may not be entitled to adequate Social Security benefits. Also, some may have immigrated under circumstances that prevented them from retaining any wealth they might have accumulated in their native lands.
Native Americans and Alaska Natives
Gathering accurate statistical data on the labor force participation rates of Native Americans and Alaska Natives is difficult. They are often counted as "other" in BLS and Census Bureau data, making specific information hard to obtain. In addition, the concepts that guide the assessment of labor force participation nationally are considered to be inappropriate for Native American population groups. According to Judith Kleinfeld and John A. Kruse in "Native Americans in the Labor Force: Hunting for an Accurate Measure" (Monthly Labor Review, July 1983, http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1982/07/rpt3full.pdf), because few jobs are available on many reservations, adults do not actively seek work—but to exclude these individuals from the statistics on the labor force results in a serious underestimation of unemployment of Native Americans.
Stella U. Ogunwole, in We the People: American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States (February 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/censr-28.pdf), reports that in 2000, 33.5% of Native Americans and Alaska Natives lived in "American Indian Areas"—that is, reservations or trust lands. In 2001 Indian Population and Labor Force Report (2001), the Bureau of Indian Affairs reports that in 2001 labor force participation rates varied greatly between reservations; the Yakama tribe had the highest unemployment rate (86%).
In most cases reservations do not generate jobs necessary to support Native American families. This is a major reason that the leadership on Native American reservations has been so willing to introduce or expand casino gambling on their reservations. According to Anne Merline McCulloch in "The Politics of Indian Gaming: Tribe/State Relations and American Federalism" (Publius, June 1994), the opening of casinos on reservation lands seems to have greatly improved employment and economic autonomy of Indian tribes while reducing dependence on welfare.
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