News Release
ICYMI: Acting Secretary Su discusses record low Black unemployment, other workplace matters during interview with TheGrio’s April Ryan
WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary Julie Su appeared on TheGrio’s “The Hill with April Ryan” recently discussed how the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts helped produce record low employment among Black Americans as reflected in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April 2024 Employment Situation Report.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Acting Secretary Su and Ryan, the media outlet’s White House correspondent, discussed how the administration continues to address historic barriers for Black and other people of color, such as workplace segregation, unsafe working conditions and underpaying jobs. Acting Secretary Su emphasized the Department of Labor’s commitment to narrowing the Black-white employment gap, making it clear that “investing in Black America is investing in America.”
Asked about the April jobs report, Acting Secretary Su remarked: “the Black employment rate in the labor market is at an all-time high, the Black unemployment rate is the lowest it has ever been, and the gap between Black and white unemployment is at the lowest it has ever been.” She emphasized that these numbers are part of a larger trend.
From September 2022 to February 2024, the Black unemployment rate remained at or below 6 percent for the longest period on record. The latest data shows that unemployment rate for Black workers was 5.6 percent in April 2024, continuing the trend of low unemployment rate for this group by historical standards.
