Unemployment Rate for Educated Black Workers Lagged in March

The labor market is recovering, but not as strongly for Black workers.

The unemployment rate for Black Americans improved slightly last month, but at 9.6% is still higher than all other race groups tracked and the national average of 6%, according to data from the Labor Department released Friday. Gaps persist between Black and White workers, including among those who are highly educated, the data show.

Pandemic job cuts have disproportionately impacted minority communities, exacerbating the so-called K-shaped recovery that economists say could have consequences that last years. Now, as the economy reopens, policy makers including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome ...