This summer, Black folks faced the highest levels of unemployment in the United States. But is that about to change? There are more available jobs now than there were before the pandemic – but everything isn’t as good as it seems.
In June, 850,000 jobs opened up. But the unemployment rate for Black people rose! Actually, the same month all those jobs were added, Black people had the highest level of unemployment. Unfortunately, this isn't a new problem.
Black people were amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic. We lost jobs at record numbers and we were more affected by COVID-19 than many other groups. And yet, despite all these job openings, we’re still struggling to recover.
While government assistance like stimulus checks and unemployment payments were paying more than many jobs during the pandemic, we can’t depend on them – they can end abruptly.
The only real solution? Companies must hire, and keep, Black workers for living wage jobs.
More jobs opening up is great for people who have struggled to find work – but we are still less likely to be hired by certain companies even when we’re more than qualified. Throughout the pandemic, the United States has shown how its job market remains anti-Black – and it seems to be doing so during the recovery as well.