Black unemployment rises while White unemployment stays stable

In the first half of the year, Black unemployment continued to rise while White employment remained stable, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal data released Thursday.

In the first half of 2026, the average Black unemployment rate was 7 percent — about 0.6 percentage points larger than it was during the same period in 2025. White unemployment did not budge in the first half of this year relative to last.