South By North Strategies, Ltd.

From the Center for American Progress’ “Economic Snapshot” for March 2012 …

Labor market pressures fall especially on communities of color, young workers, and those with less education.The African American unemployment rate in February 2012 stayed well above average at 14.1 percent, and the Hispanic unemployment rate stayed high at 10.7 percent, while the white unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. Youth unemployment stood at a high 23.8 percent. And the unemployment rate for people without a high school diploma stayed high at 12.9 percent, compared to 8.3 percent for those with a high school diploma and 4.2 percent for those with a college degree. Vulnerable groups have struggled disproportionately more amid the weak labor market than white workers, older workers, and workers with more education. But even those groups that fare better than their counterparts in the weak labor market suffer tremendously from high and long-term unemployment.