The Joint Center analyzes unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and shows how these numbers affect Black workers. Our May Jobs Day analysis is below.

• • From April to May, the unemployment rate for Black workers decreased from 7.3 percent to 6.6 percent.

• In May 2025, the unemployment rate for Black workers was 0.6 percentage points lower at six percent.
• From April to May, the number of Black workers employed increased by 101,000.
• From April to May, the unemployment rate for Black men decreased from 7.6 percent to 7.3 percent.
• The unemployment rate for Black women decreased from 6.9 percent to six percent.
• From April to May, the unemployment rate for young Black workers increased from 13.4 percent to 14.1 percent. The overall unemployment rate for all young workers also increased from 8.5 percent to 9.4 percent.
• In May, the overall unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, while the Black unemployment rate was 6.6 percent.
• At 6.6 percent, the Black unemployment rate remains the highest among all racial groups, compared to 3.8 percent for White workers, five percent for Hispanic workers, and 3.8 percent for Asian workers.

The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, exceeding the 80,000 forecast in the Dow Jones consensus estimate. For Black workers, the report offered a mixed but improved picture. The Black unemployment rate fell from 7.3 percent in April to 6.6 percent in May, and the number of Black workers employed increased by 101,000. Black women saw especially notable improvement, with their unemployment rate falling from 6.9 percent to six percent. However, overall Black unemployment remains elevated compared with six percent in May 2025 and continues to be the highest among the major racial groups.

What the May Jobs Report Means for Black Workers

By: Cantrell Dumas, Senior Researcher for Financial Regulation and Policy

May’s jobs report brought some encouraging news for Black workers. The Black unemployment rate fell from 7.3 percent in April to 6.6 percent in May, a meaningful one-month drop. The number of Black workers with jobs also increased by 101,000.

Black women saw notable improvement. Their unemployment rate fell from 6.9 percent in April to 6 percent in May. Black men also saw a decline, though smaller, with their unemployment rate falling from 7.6 percent to 7.3 percent.

The report also shows why one month of progress should be viewed with caution. Black unemployment is still higher than it was a year ago, when it stood at 6 percent in May 2025. In other words, May’s improvement is welcome, but it also reflects a partial recovery from recent setbacks.

The picture is also more troubling for young Black workers. Their unemployment rate rose from 13.4 percent in April to 14.1 percent in May. That increase suggests that younger Black workers are not benefiting from the labor market in the same way as older workers.

Those challenges are part of a larger pattern. At 6.6 percent, Black unemployment continues to be the highest among major racial groups. It is well above the unemployment rates for White and Asian workers, both at 3.8 percent, and Hispanic workers at 5 percent. It is also higher than the national unemployment rate of 4.3 percent.