The recession has not affected all Americans equally. While overall unemployment hovers around 8 percent, the reality was much different depending on your racial and ethnic background. African-Americans had an unemployment rate of 14.1 percent, nearly double the rate of whites at 7.2 percent. Hispanics had the second highest unemployment rate at 10.2 percent. And Asians fared best, with 5.9 percent unemployment.
But Asians do not fare so well when it comes to long-term unemployment, those out of work for six months or longer. Unemployed Asians and African-Americans tend to stay unemployed for longer stretches of time.
Check out our infographic for more on unemployment’s racial disparities. See “What Do Others Say?” on the demographics, then add to the discussion below. What do these disparities say about the U.S.? How much is prejudice at play?
