The total unemployment rate for Black Californians seems stuck at almost three times higher than the national rate – despite steady increases in overall hiring of African Americans in the state.
As a social worker with the Denver Public Library, part of Sonia Falcon’s job is to help people in East Denver use government services and benefits. But she’s never seen anything like the unemployment case that has consumed her work since February.
“With vaccine eligibility now expanded to Californians 16 and older, our safe reopening and strong recovery will require an ongoing commitment to vaccine access and to a safe workplace for everyone, as more and more Californians get back to work,” said the state officials.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today extended a moratorium on evictions through Oct. 31.
The board also set the county’s moratorium as the minimum standard for cities countywide, something Supervisor Kathryn Barger had previously pushed back against.
“I don’t want to get political here, but I would hope that this report would color how people view the approaches that the parties and candidates take toward legislative and social issues, and how those things are framed,” Lending Tree Lead Researcher Kali McFadden told NNPA Newswire.
“How strong is our economy? It is undoubtedly stronger than it was a year ago, but it’s not as strong as some claim that it is. Labor market weaknesses and inequality are of particular concern to African Americans. Companies are hiring, but they aren’t hiring enough African Americans to close the unemployment rate gap.”