Unemployment rate of young high school graduates, by race and ethnicity, 1989–2014*

White Black Hispanic
1989 10.0% 27.8% 15.4%
1990 10.7% 25.9% 13.3%
1991 13.2% 32.6% 17.8%
1992 13.9% 32.4% 20.1%
1993 12.7% 32.2% 19.5%
1994 11.1% 31.1% 17.4%
1995 11.7% 30.7% 16.5%
1996 11.6% 29.8% 19.8%
1997 10.8% 28.2% 14.4%
1998 9.7% 23.7% 15.7%
1999 9.2% 24.8% 13.8%
2000 9.8% 22.7% 11.4%
2001 11.0% 26.8% 15.5%
2002 14.1% 28.3% 15.1%
2003 14.1% 32.5% 17.5%
2004 13.3% 27.6% 17.1%
2005 13.0% 29.0% 16.1%
2006 13.7% 28.2% 12.2%
2007 13.1% 30.4% 14.3%
2008 17.7% 28.7% 19.5%
2009 23.8% 40.0% 27.3%
2010 24.0% 37.0% 28.7%
2011 21.3% 41.2% 29.1%
2012 22.0% 39.6% 26.5%
2013 20.4% 35.4% 23.8%
2013-04-01 19.4% 34.7% 23.2%

* Data for 2014 represent 12-month average from April 2013–March 2014.

Note: Shaded areas denote recessions. Data are for high school graduates age 17–20 who are not enrolled in further schooling. Race/ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (i.e., white non-Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, and Hispanic any race).

Source: Authors' analysis of basic monthly Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata

View the underlying data on epi.org.