Workforce Policy
September 2026 Jobs Day Analysis
October 2, 2026
The Joint Center analyzes unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and shows how these numbers affect Black workers. Our September Jobs Day analysis is below.
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- From August to September, the unemployment rate for Black workers increased from 6 percent to 7 percent.
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- In September 2025, the unemployment rate for Black workers was 0.5 percentage points higher at 7.5 percent.
- From August to September, the number of Black workers employed increased by 110,000.
- From August to September, the unemployment rate for Black men increased from 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent.
- The unemployment rate for Black women increased from 5.9 percent to 7.3 percent, the highest since February.
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- From August to September, the unemployment rate for young Black workers increased from 11.5 percent to 14.4 percent. The overall unemployment rate for all young workers also increased from 9.3 percent to 10 percent.
- In September, the overall unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, while the Black unemployment rate was 7 percent.
- At 7 percent, the Black unemployment rate remains the highest among all racial groups, compared to 3.6 percent for white workers, 4.7 percent for Hispanic workers, and 2.9 percent for Asian workers. In September, the unemployment rate for white workers, Hispanic workers, and Asian workers declined.
- The U.S. economy added 29,000 jobs in September, and the overall unemployment rate edged up slightly from 4.1 percent in August to 4.2 percent in September. The Black unemployment rate increased by a full percentage point, from 6 percent to 7 percent, even as unemployment declined for white, Hispanic, and Asian workers. The increase was especially sharp for Black women, whose unemployment rate rose from 5.9 percent to 7.3 percent, a 1.4 percentage point increase. The unemployment rate for Black men also increased, from 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent. The September data highlight the economic vulnerability and insecurity facing Black workers as the labor market weakens.
