12,379,000 Blacks, 13,878,000 Hispanics Not in Labor Force in April
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/73157000-blacks-1387800-hispanics-not-labor-force-aprilBy Susan Jones | May 6, 2016 | 9:44 AM EDT
The April unemployment rate increased for Hispanics and dropped slightly for blacks in April. (AP File Photo)
(CNSNews.com) - The number of Hispanics not in the labor force last month totaled 13,878,000 -- 274,000 more than in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday.
The unemployment rate for Hispanics increased to 6.1 percent in April, up half a point from 5.6 percent in March, and more than a point above the national rate of 5.0 percent.
The number of African Americans not in the labor force also increased, to 12,379,000 in April, up 139,000 from 12,240,000 in March, but for this group, the unemployment rate improved slightly, dropping to 8.8 percent in April from 9.0 percent in March.
However, that 8.8 percent jobless rate for blacks remains the highest of all the major worker groups.
In April, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Hispanic civilian noninstitutional population, consisting of all Hispanics 16 or older who were not in the military or an institution, reached 40,474,000. Of those, 24,960,000 Hispanics participated in the labor force by either holding a job or actively seeking one, for a 65.7 percent labor force participation rate.
For African Americans, the labor force participation rate was much lower than that for Hispanics.
The African American civilian noninstitutional population, consisting of all blacks 16 or older who were not in the military or an institution, reached 31,792,000 in April. Of those, 19,413,000 blacks participated in the labor force by either holding a job or actively seeking one, for a 61.1 percent participation rate.