By Thomas Ricotta on February 4th, 2019 in In The News
Many Americans are without jobs, but when it comes to unemployment in the United States, is it equal across the board or is discrimination a factor? Even though we are now in the 21st century and focusing more on equality, certain demographics still have the biggest advantage when it comes to getting jobs.
Discrimination is still a major issue. Qualified applicants are getting turned down for jobs simply because they are male or female, middle-aged, Hispanic, or Black. Read on to learn about how race, age, and gender influence unemployment statistics.
Unemployment Rates by Race
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of the fourth quarter of 2018, unemployment is lowest for Asians, at 3.0%. Blacks see the highest rate, which is more than double that rate, at 6.1%. The rate for Whites is 3.2%, while Hispanics have an unemployment rate of 4.3%. All these rates have decreased since 2017, except for Asians, which increased from 2.8% to 3.0 %.
Unemployment Rates by Age
Overall, the highest unemployment rates are for teens. Those between 16 and 19 years old see a rate of 11.5%. The highest unemployment rate is among Black men ages 18 and 19, at 20.9%. This rate drops to 11.8% between the ages of 20 and 24. While discrimination among elders in the workforce is still prevalent, the lowest unemployment rate is between the ages of 55 and 64, at just 2.7%. Asians over the age of 65 saw the lowest rate, at just under 1%.
Unemployment Rates by Gender
When it comes to gender, the statistics favor the women. Among Asians, the unemployment rate is at 3.0% for both men and women. Among Whites, the women had the slight advantage at 3.1%, versus 3.2% for men. Among Blacks, the women also saw lower unemployment rates, at 5.6% versus 6.7% for Black men. Men had the advantage among Hispanics, with the rate for men at 4.1% and the rate for women at 4.6%.
White women saw the lowest unemployment rates between 45 and 64 years of age, at 2.3%. White men saw the lowest rates between the ages of 35 and 54, at 2.4%. Black men saw the lowest rates after age 65, at 3.9%. For Black women, the rates were the lowest between the ages of 55 to 64, at 3.1%. Between the ages of 35 and 54, the unemployment rate for Asian women was just 1.5%. It was just under 1% for Asian men over the age of 65. The rate was 2.8% for Hispanic men between the ages of 45 and 54 and 2.9% for Hispanic women between 55 and 64 years old.
Contact a New York Discrimination Lawyer
Discrimination still exists and it can affect one’s job opportunities. People are discriminated against on a regular basis based on their race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability status.
If you lost out on a job opportunity or were fired due to discrimination, the experienced New York discrimination lawyers at Ricotta & Marks, P.C. can help you with your case. We only get paid if you win your case. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (347) 464-8694.