But black people in Britain suffer from even higher rates of unemployment, especially during the last three recessions, a new study reports.

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According to research presented to the British Sociological Association, joblessness among the black population in the UK was 18 percent last year, compared with 15 percent in the US.

During the two previous recessions, the disparity was greater. In the 1990s, 28 percent of black Brits were unemployed while only 13 percent of African-Americans. In the early 1980s, the difference was 24 percent to 17 percent.

Professor Yaojun Li from the University of Manchester explained in the UK’s Indepedent that the gap had a lot to do with British policy.

“[There is] a fairly strong indication that the flexible labour market politics adopted in Britain in the last few decades [had not protected] the minority ethnic groups against the repercussions of recessions.”

Li claims that the employment rate is so different because there are fewer federal labor policies that address social inequality and initiatives similar to American-style affirmative action established to help blacks in the UK. Those programs, he claimed, have helped some blacks in America.

The study also revealed that black women in Britain also had been hit harder by unemployment in the three recessions, given these numbers: 25 percent in the 1980s, 26 percent in the 1990s and 17 percent last year, compared with 20 percent, 12 percent and 13 percent in the US.

The study, which examined 2.7 million responses from three datasets in the UK and US, also reported that one in 12 black Britons are unemployed, compared with one in 16 in the US.

Li added:

“There is greater ethnic inequality in Britain’s…in the USA for both sexes…If you are black you are more likely to be without work in the UK.”

Tunde Banjoko, chief executive of the welfare-to-work charity Local Employment Access Projects, told the Guardian:

“I think that there has been a lack of awareness about the fact that so many black people are starting from such a low economic base that their life chances are so affected. In the US there is affirmative action and people do get in on those programmes. But once in they rise on their own merits.”

Still, no matter how you slice it, joblessness is extremely high in both communities. And whether one country has implemented social programs or not, the issue affects blacks on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Brett Johnson is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer and the founder of the music and culture blog VeryArtistical.com.

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Applications fell 50,000, the biggest drop in the seasonally adjusted figure in more than six years, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week average, which smooths out fluctuations, dropped to 379,000. That’s the second-lowest such figure in more than three years.

A department spokesman cautioned that volatility at this time of year is common. Applications had jumped two weeks ago, largely because companies laid off thousands of temporary workers hired for the holidays.

Still, when weekly applications fall consistently below 375,000, it usually signals that hiring is strong enough to push down the unemployment rate.

“This continues a clear downshift in claims,” said Ian Shepherdson, an economist at High Frequency Economics.

Shepherdson suggested that stronger hiring should follow.

Hiring improved in the second half of 2011. In December, employers added 200,000 jobs. That marked the sixth straight month in which the economy added at least 100,000 jobs. And the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, a three-year low.

For all of 2011, the economy added 1.6 million jobs. That was up sharply from 940,000 in 2010. Economists say they expect roughly 1.9 million more jobs to be added this year, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

Still, the job market has a long way to go before it fully recovers from the damage of the Great Recession, which wiped out 8.7 million jobs. More than 13 million people remain unemployed. Millions more have given up looking for work and so are no longer counted as unemployed.

The overall number of people receiving benefits, which isn’t seasonally adjusted, rose. More than 7.8 million people received benefits in the final week of last year. They include about 3.6 million people covered by extended-benefit programs begun during the recession.

The manufacturing sector remains a bright spot. Factory output jumped 0.9 percent in December, the Federal Reserve said this week. That was the sharpest monthly gain in a year. Manufacturing gained 225,000 jobs last year, the most since 1997.

The pickup in hiring reflects stronger economic growth. The economy likely grew at an annual rate of about 3 percent in the final three months of last year, economists estimate.

That would be a sharp improvement over the 1.8 percent annual growth rate in the July-September quarter. Rising consumer spending is thought to be fueling much of the gain in the current quarter.

Even so, economists worry that growth could slow in the first half of 2012. Europe is almost certain to fall into recession because of its financial troubles.

And wages aren’t keeping up with inflation. The department said in a separate report that average inflation-adjusted hourly earnings dropped 0.9 percent last year.

Without more jobs and higher pay, consumers might have to cut back on spending. That would weigh down growth next year. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the economy.

Are you currently employed full-time?

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The Labor Department said Friday that employers added a net 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest since February 2009. The rate has dropped for four straight months. But black unemployment rose again from 15.5 to 15.8 percent overall and from 39.6 to 42.1 among African-American teens.

The hiring gains cap a six-month stretch in which the economy generated 100,000 jobs or more in each month. That hasn’t happened since April 2006.

“There is no question that today’s employment report is a positive and there is also no question that the pace of job growth has accelerated of late,” said Dan Greenhaus, an analyst at BTIG LLC, a brokerage firm

A better job market is a positive sign for President Barack Obama, who is bound to face voters with the highest unemployment rate of any sitting president since World War II. Unemployment was 7.8 percent when Obama took office in January 2009.

Still, the level may matter less to his re-election chances if the rate continues to fall. History suggests that presidents’ re-election prospects hinge less on the unemployment rate itself than on the rate’s direction during the year or two before Election Day.

For all of 2011, the economy added 1.6 million jobs, better than the 940,000 added in 2010. The unemployment rate averaged 8.9 percent last year, down from 9.6 percent the previous year.

Economists forecast that the job gains will top 2.1 million this year.

The December report painted a picture of a broadly improving job market. Average hourly pay rose, providing consumers with more income to spend. The average work week lengthened, a sign that business is picking up and companies may soon need more workers.

And hiring increased across most major industries.

Manufacturing added 23,000 jobs, as did the health care industry. Transportation and warehousing added 50,000 jobs. Retailers added 28,000 jobs. Even the beleaguered construction industry added 17,000 workers.

Economists cautioned that some of the gains reflected temporary hiring for the holiday season. The government adjusts the figures to account for those seasonal factors, but doesn’t always fully account for them.

The gains in transportation and warehousing, for example, reflected a strong increase in hiring for couriers and messengers. That could stem from a big jump in online shopping over the holidays, the department said.

The nation’s work force, which includes both people working and those searching for jobs, shrank slightly last months and is little changed from this spring. That’s a concern because a strengthening job market normally draws more applicants.

The work force has declined by about 160,000 over the past two months, one reason the unemployment rate has fallen.

“You have to take that unemployment rate decline with a grain of salt when you look at the declines in the labor force,” said Marisa DiNatale, an economist at Moody’s Analytics.

The government only counts people as unemployed if they are actively searching for jobs. Discouraged workers who have given up on looking are not included in the rate.

And some of those who are counted as employed are working part time, but want full-time work.

When including those groups, the broader “underemployment” rate was 15.2 percent. That’s down from 15.6 percent the previous month, but still high. The figure has dropped for three straight months.

And the job market has a long way to go to recover from the Great Recession. The nation has 6 million fewer jobs that it did in December 2007, when the recession began.

More jobs and higher pay are crucial to helping the economy grow. They could enable shoppers to increase spending, which fuels 70 percent of economic activity.

The economy likely grew at an annual rate of above 3 percent, a healthy pace.

A more robust hiring market coincides with other positive data that show the economy ended the year with some momentum.

Weekly applications for unemployment benefits have fallen to levels last seen more than three years ago. Holiday sales were solid. And November and December were the strongest months of 2011 for U.S. auto sales.

Many businesses say they are ready to step up hiring in early 2012 after seeing stronger consumer confidence and greater demand for their products.

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Far fewer people are seeking unemployment benefits than just three months ago – a sign that layoffs are falling sharply.

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The number of people applying for benefits fell last week to 366,000, the fewest since May 2008. If the number stayed that low consistently, it would likely signal that hiring is strong enough to lower unemployment.

The unemployment rate is now 8.6 percent. The last time applications were this low, the rate was 5.4 percent.

The big question is whether fewer layoffs will translate into robust hiring. It hasn’t happened yet, even though job growth has been rising consistently each month.

The four-week average of weekly unemployment applications, which smooths out fluctuations, dropped last week to 387,750. That’s the lowest four-week since July 2008. The four-week average has declined in 10 of the past 12 weeks.

“Labor market conditions have taken a turn for the better in recent weeks,” Michael Gapen, an economist at Barclays Capital, said in a note to clients. “Payroll growth should improve in the coming months.”

Applications for unemployment benefits are a measure of the pace of layoffs. Job cuts have fallen sharply since the recession. Employers have been hiring at only a modest pace. But when applications fall below 375,000 – consistently – that usually signals that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.

The downward trend suggests that companies are cutting fewer workers as the economy picks up. It also comes as Congress is wrangling over whether to extend emergency unemployment benefits, which are set to expire at the end of this year.

Growth may top 3 percent in the final three months of this year, according to many economists. That would be up from 2 percent in the July-September quarter.

Other recent reports suggest the job market is improving a bit. In the past three months, net job gains have averaged 143,000 a month. That compares with an average of 84,000 in the previous three months.

In November, employers added 120,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent from 9 percent. That was the lowest unemployment rate in 2 1/2 years. But about half that decline occurred because many of the unemployed gave up looking for work. When people stop looking for a job, they’re no longer counted as unemployed.

Employers posted fewer jobs in October than in the previous month, the government said Tuesday, though the decline was modest.

Job openings have risen by about 35 percent since the recession officially ended in June 2009. But they’re still about 25 percent below pre-recession levels.

About 6.7 million people are receiving unemployment benefits. About 2 million will lose their benefits by mid-February if the emergency program expires.

Lawmakers differ over how long benefits should last. The House passed a Republican bill Tuesday that would renew emergency aid but reduce the maximum duration to 59 weeks from the current 99 weeks.

Democrats want to keep the full 99 weeks. The measure is part of broader legislation in the Democratic-led Senate that would also extend a Social Security tax cut.

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Over the past decade, the share of black households ranking among the poorest poor – those earning less than $15,000 – climbed from 20 percent to 26 percent, according to census figures released Thursday. Other racial and ethnic groups posted smaller increases. During the same period, the percentage of African-Americans making $200,000 or more a year was unchanged at 1.1 percent, even after the Great Recession.

Meanwhile, in a reversal of the Great Migration that once pushed blacks to flee Southern racism for economic opportunity in northern cities, many affluent blacks are returning to the South. Incomes and black populations have grown in the last decade in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas and Miami.

David Lamothe, associate general counsel for a major bank in Charlotte, grew up in New York City with parents who immigrated from Haitian poverty and climbed into the middle class. Now he is associate general counsel for a major bank in Charlotte, where he lives with his pediatrician wife and their three children, ages 8 to 14.

He is acutely aware of differences in the dynamic of today’s black community.

“Growing up, when we went to a party, it was all black kids, and we had no idea how much money their parents made. Everybody went to the same party. My best friend lived in the projects. My kids don’t have that,” said Lamothe. “There’s not much opportunity for them to see those kids (from low-income families). There’s more stratification.”

Despite some gains for middle-class blacks, African-Americans on average last year still had rising poverty and worsening economic situations compared with whites. The mostly suburban counties where blacks had growing and higher-than-average income make up about 19 percent of the black population. That’s compared with 45 percent of blacks who lived in urban counties and small towns where black incomes fell relative to whites.

Blacks were more likely than other groups to live in neighborhoods with poverty rates of 40 percent or more. Roughly one in nine of them did.

Lamothe’s response is to make sure his children recognize their humble roots.

“I stress to them, just because somebody pushes a broom doesn’t make you any better than them. You have family members on both sides who do that kind of job. You also have family who have been very fortunate professionally, but that doesn’t make us better than anybody else.”

Still, a gap remains between black families who live in different neighborhoods, attend different schools and live different lives.

“Other than skin color, they don’t really resemble you,” Lamothe said.

Yet there is still a psychic glue that bonds black people of all incomes together, said Blair L.M. Kelley, a history professor at North Carolina State University. The institution of the black church remains strong, she said, as does a shared sense of responsibility.

“There’s such a long-term ethos in African-American thought about giving back,” Kelley said.

“We all have someone who is struggling – a sister, a cousin,” she said. “As much as you are prospering, you are surely related to someone who needs a check from you. And you will give it to them. None of us are disconnected from government workers or the working poor or people struggling with the criminal justice system. You can be doing well, but you don’t forget it because it’s part of your everyday life.”

Roderick Harrison, a Howard University sociologist and former chief of racial statistics at the Census Bureau, said that the recent census data showing the success of some blacks could give ammunition to people who claim that black poverty is more a result of character flaws than societal structures that have been shaped by discrimination.

He said that among some segments of the population, discussion of racial disparities “quite often is characterized as playing the race card, when you should be working harder or staying in school longer or making better life choices.”

William H. Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer who did a broad analysis of the race and income data, said the changes could pose challenges to courting the traditional black vote.

Obama is pushing a re-election theme of middle-class renewal, painting Republican reluctance to raise taxes as protecting the wealthy at the expense of average families.

“The Democratic Party will surely gain consistent support from these new black suburbanites, but the active support for traditional black issues like civil rights may take a back seat,” Frey said, citing issues such as schools, housing and public safety that may eclipse civil rights.

Lamothe said he was elated when Barack Obama became the first black president, and things like universal health care appeal to him and his wife. But he dislikes some of Obama’s recent statements about the wealthy.

“It’s like now I’m the enemy,” said Lamothe, who describes himself as a social liberal and fiscal conservative.

“I’m OK with saying those who have more have a responsibility to help out those who need a hand. If I got to pay a little more in taxes I may not like it, but I’ll grin and bear it. What I don’t like it is, `They’re getting over and not paying their fair share.’”

“Somehow me working hard and being successful, I’ve gotten over? I got over because I worked hard for it.”

African-Americans have overwhelmingly supported liberal policies since Democratic President Lyndon Johnson pushed through civil rights legislation of the 1960s.

Could Lamothe see himself voting for a Republican?

“Oh, hell no,” he said.

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The number of students recieiving subsidized lunch rose 17 percent since the 2006, according to Department of Agriculture data gathered by the New York Times. Eleven states had four-year increases of 25 percent or more.

“These are very large increases and a direct reflection of the hardships American families are facing,” said Benjamin Senauer, a University of Minnesota economist who studies the meals program, adding that the surge had happened so quickly “that people like myself who do research are struggling to keep up with it.”

Read more at the New York Times.

Organized by Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, the job fair featured hundreds of job openings available only to individuals with a felony on their record.

“In this tough job market, we know that it is difficult, regardless of whether you have a felony or not, to find a job,” Pugh said. “But we feel that population needs just a boost of confidence and some hope that there are employers out there who will give them second chances.”

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As the labor market stalls, jobless claims have risen to almost half a million. This is the second week in which unemployment claims have risen.

This brings the total number of Americans receiving unemployment to more than seven million people.

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The Huffington Post reports:

It was the second straight week in which claims rose. Wall Street analysts had been looking for a dip to 410,000.

Excluding one week in early August, claims have held above 400,000 since early April. A Labor Department official said there was no discernible effect from Hurricane Irene or other storms in the national reading.

Read More At The Huffington Post

Start Gallery

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its most recent unemployment data. We knew that Black folks (especially men) would be at the bottom, we just didn’t know how bad. Well, it turns out that the numbers exceed even the most pessimistic predictions.

Black unemployment shot up like a rocket during the month of August, rising from an abysmal 15.9 percent to an even more shocking 16.7 percent. Much of the increase was driven by Black male unemployment, which rose from 17 to 18 percent. Black female unemployment remained steady at 13.4 percent, and Black teen unemployment experienced a dramatic increase from 39.2 percent to an astounding 46.5 percent.

If you were white in America, the month of August was pretty good. White unemployment remained consistent across the board, and went down for white males. Overall white unemployment dropped from 8.1 percent to 8 percent. White males saw a decline from 7.9 to 7.7 percent. White women and teens saw their unemployment rates remain unchanged at 7 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

The Obama Administration has a serious problem. Every time the numbers show that chronic Black unemployment has reached crisis levels, I think back to the Obama Administration’s delusional assertion three years ago that a “rising tide will lift all boats” (that targeted economic policy would not work as well as a general policy that helps everyone – after all, he is “everyone’s president”).  Well, I’m here to report to the Obama Administration: The tide not only missed our boat, but Black folks are sinking to the bottom of the economic ocean.

One of the most telling signs of racial inequality in America is the fact that African Americans are not only subjected to the very worst economic circumstances in the country, but we are also not allowed to be upset about it. Middle class Tea Partiers can gather in Washington to complain about health care, wealthy white folks can get upset about a tiny spike in taxes, and white Americans can remain justifiably outraged over a measly eight percent rate of unemployment. But when African Americans say a word about widespread and virtually unprecedented economic suffering in the presence of a Black president, we are referred to as Uncle Toms or told that we are demanding too much.

Perhaps it’s time to grow up and get a political education. Instead of being pacified by a beautiful statue of Dr. King or appearances by President Obama on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, it’s time that we force all of Washington (including Obama) to have their “Beyonce Moment” : Say my name. Let me know that you are with me in my suffering. Don’t force my people to live in the socioeconomic basement in painful silence so as not to offend a powerful Black man from an Ivy League University. The call to consciousness within Black America is not a matter of attacking or hating President Obama. It’s a matter of getting the Obama Administration to admit that they were wrong.

Like wide-eyed children, we trusted the Obama Administration and their Wall Street-wired economic advisers to incorporate policies that would make life better for our people, in addition to the rest of America. Well, the evidence is clear and the verdict is in: Those policies have not worked. The president would be wise to let go of the charade, admit that mistakes were made and profess that it’s time to take the country in another direction.

Additionally, African American leaders who continue to work to elevate the Obama campaign without demanding true reciprocity in exchange for the Black vote risk being perceived as political slum lords. Again, this is not to say that one does not have the right to aggressively campaign for President Obama. But it’s another thing to present the president as “the really cool brother you should vote for.” Instead, addressing administration policies and gauging their sensitivity to our community’s needs should be mandatory before simply pulling out the “Black man card” for the next election.

One of the most painful challenges of demanding our rights from Washington is that we are forced to confront the possibility that the Black man we loved so much may not have our best interests at heart. Also, with every mention of Black unemployment comes the predatory glance of blood-sucking Republicans, who are waiting with open arms. Finally, there is the uncomfortable reality that we are harming the progress of one of the greatest Black men in American history. To have Obama in the middle of the government that has played a powerful role in building this cesspool of political neglect is like a slave’s best friend guarding the master’s house on the night of the revolt.

In spite of our respect for Obama, there must come a time when our love for Black folks must supersede any quest for personal or political gain. There must be a time when empty excuses  go out the window, and where African Americans engage in individual and collective action that will get us out of this hell hole. Times have gotten too critical for us to worry about protecting Barack Obama or anyone else – I just want to protect our people.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition.  To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. Follow us on Facebook by visiting this link.

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Despite a slumping economy, states like North Dakota seem to be doing fairly well. With an unemployment rate slightly over 3 percent and the highest job growth in the nation, some say North Dakota and its neighboring states (Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota), are the best options for African-Americans looking to find work.

But with unemployment as high as it is, Black folks may need to begin looking for work in places they never would have considered. Meanwhile, venturing outside of our comfort zone to make a new life for ourselves is not a brand new concept. African-Americans, like any other group, travel to where the opportunities take them.

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