Business
Black unemployment drops in the U.S
Friday, May 4, 2012
Job applicants fill out applications for positions, Sept. 25, 2009. PHOTO/Paul Aancya/AP
Black unemployment dropped a full point to 13 percent, one of the most positive signs in a jobs report released Friday that otherwise showed little progress for the American economy.
Unemployment overall decreased slightly from 8.2 to 8.1 percent over the last month, according to the Department of Labor, but that was largely because of a drop in the number of people seeking jobs, a sign they are struggling to find work. It was the second straight month the number of Americans with jobs declined.
At the same time, the overall direction of the economy is positive; the jobless rate was 9.0 percent in April 2011.