The State of the Black Labor Market

The brief, The State of the Black Labor Market, analyzes U.S. labor market data for Black workers from January to August 2026.

The first eight months of 2026 produced three distinct labor market stories:

• The unemployment rate for Black men generally declined during the year. It fell from 8.1 percent in January to 7.6 percent in February, briefly rose to 7.9 percent in March, and then declined each month from April through August, reaching 6.2 percent.
• The unemployment rate for Black women was more volatile during the year. It rose from 6.5 percent in January to 7.7 percent in February, fell to 6.3 percent in March, rose again to 6.9 percent in April, and then declined to 5.8 percent in July before edging up to 5.9 percent in August.
• Young Black workers experienced the largest month-to-month swings in unemployment. Their unemployment rate was 13.7 percent in January, reached 16.6 percent in June, fell sharply to 12.0 percent in July, and declined further to 11.5 percent in August.

To assess these trends more fully, it is also important to consider labor force participation and the employment-population ratio. The employment-population ratio measures the share of the population that is employed, while the labor force participation rate measures the share that is working or actively looking for work. These measures provide additional context for understanding whether changes in the unemployment rate reflect stronger employment or changes in the number of people participating in the labor force.[i]

Read the full brief here.

End Notes

[i] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Concepts and Definitions,” Current Population Survey.