Unemployment rate by race and gender, 1978–2019
| Year | Black men, non-Hispanic | White men, non-Hispanic | Black women, non-Hispanic | White women, non-Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 11.7% | 4.4% | 14.3% | 6.1% |
| 1979 | 11.2% | 4.3% | 13.6% | 5.8% |
| 1980 | 14.4% | 6.0% | 14.8% | 6.4% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | 6.3% | 15.9% | 6.7% |
| 1982 | 20.0% | 8.5% | 18.2% | 8.0% |
| 1983 | 20.3% | 8.4% | 19.0% | 7.6% |
| 1984 | 16.3% | 6.2% | 15.9% | 6.3% |
| 1985 | 15.3% | 5.7% | 15.0% | 6.0% |
| 1986 | 14.6% | 5.6% | 14.4% | 5.7% |
| 1987 | 12.8% | 5.1% | 13.3% | 5.0% |
| 1988 | 11.7% | 4.4% | 12.0% | 4.4% |
| 1989 | 11.6% | 4.2% | 11.3% | 4.2% |
| 1990 | 11.9% | 4.6% | 11.0% | 4.4% |
| 1991 | 13.1% | 6.0% | 12.1% | 5.3% |
| 1992 | 15.2% | 6.5% | 13.1% | 5.6% |
| 1993 | 13.8% | 5.8% | 12.2% | 5.2% |
| 1994 | 12.0% | 4.9% | 11.1% | 4.7% |
| 1995 | 10.8% | 4.5% | 10.2% | 4.4% |
| 1996 | 11.2% | 4.3% | 10.0% | 4.1% |
| 1997 | 10.3% | 3.9% | 10.0% | 3.8% |
| 1998 | 8.9% | 3.5% | 9.0% | 3.4% |
| 1999 | 8.2% | 3.3% | 7.8% | 3.3% |
| 2000 | 8.1% | 3.1% | 7.2% | 3.2% |
| 2001 | 9.3% | 3.9% | 8.0% | 3.6% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | 5.0% | 9.7% | 4.5% |
| 2003 | 11.6% | 5.3% | 10.0% | 4.4% |
| 2004 | 11.1% | 4.7% | 9.8% | 4.3% |
| 2005 | 10.7% | 4.2% | 9.5% | 4.0% |
| 2006 | 9.6% | 3.9% | 8.5% | 3.8% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | 4.0% | 7.5% | 3.7% |
| 2008 | 11.4% | 5.0% | 9.0% | 4.4% |
| 2009 | 17.5% | 8.8% | 12.4% | 6.7% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | 8.9% | 13.7% | 7.0% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | 7.7% | 14.1% | 6.7% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | 6.8% | 12.7% | 6.3% |
| 2013 | 14.2% | 6.3% | 12.2% | 5.6% |
| 2014 | 12.5% | 5.1% | 10.6% | 4.7% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | 4.3% | 9.0% | 4.0% |
| 2016 | 9.1% | 4.1% | 8.0% | 3.8% |
| 2017 | 8.3% | 3.6% | 6.9% | 3.4% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | 3.3% | 6.0% | 3.0% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | 3.1% | 5.6% | 2.9% |
Source: 1978–2019 series by race & ethnicity, EPI analysis of monthly CPS microdata, downloaded from EPI SWA Data Library.