Recently, employment rates have varied as America continues to fight this global pandemic. Unemployment skyrocketed due to the pandemic and many Americans lost their jobs because of this in 2020. Upon further examination, the data varies across different races and genders.
For example, in 2020, we saw an increase in the black unemployment rate. However, pre-COVID-19 the employment rate for black Americans was at an all-time high of 59 percent across all 50 states in 2019.
From 2015-2020, the data shows a clear racial disparity between black and white individuals. Each year since 2015 a much greater percentage of black individuals have been left unemployed in comparison to white individuals. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, both unemployment rates for black and white individuals saw a decrease. In 2020, however, unemployment rates for black Americans increased by nearly 78 percent and unemployment rates for white Americans increased by 111 percent.
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Overall, 2020 data shows a shift in trends as unemployment rates increase while employment rates decrease due to the economic consequences of the pandemic. We wonder now that businesses are hiring as our economy recovers from the pandemic what employment trends will look like in 2021.
Anna D’Aprile is a press and communications intern at Truth in accounting.
