Even when county unemployment rates averaged 7 percent, the labor market didn't look healthy for everyone: Average unemployment rates, employment to population ratio, and weekly hours worked across counties, by race and by education, 2012–2017
| Overall | White | Noncollege | Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 5.7% | 8.7% | 12.5% |
| EPOP | 58.9% | 59.0% | 53.8% | 54.4% |
| Prime-age EPOP | 76.6% | 79.0% | 71.7% | 69.6% |
| Share of all adults with usual hours > 0 | 70.0% | 72.2% | 64.9% | 63.9% |
| Share of working adults with usual hours > 20 | 92.8% | 92.5% | 91.6% | 93.4% |
| Share of all adults with usual hours > 20 | 65.0% | 66.8% | 59.4% | 59.7% |
Notes: Sample included all counties with 500 or more observations on the black labor force, to ensure statistical reliability. Sample includes ages 16 and older.
Source: Author’s analysis of data from the American Community Survey (ACS)