Page 4 The Skanner MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE EDITION September 21, 2016 MBE 2016 Special Business Edition Black Unemployment Rate Falls to 8.1 percent in August By Freddie Allen (NNPA Newswire Managing Editor) H FREDDIE ALLEN/AMG/NNPA T he unemployment rate for Black work- ers improved from 8.4 percent in July to 8.1 percent in August, according to the latest jobs report from the La- bor Department. Even though the Black jobless rate has decreased more than a percentage point since last year (9.4 per- cent in August 2015), it is still nearly double the White unemployment rate (4.4 percent). Nationally, the econo- my added 151,000 jobs in Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said that ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to make a decent life for themselves and their families is the central challenge of our time. This photo was taken during a forum on criminal justice reform in Northwest Washington, D.C. in July 2015. August, but the unem- ployment rate remained steady at 4.9 percent, the same mark set in July and June. The labor force partic- ipation rate, which mea- sures the share of work- ers that are employed or looking for jobs, was 61.9 percent for Black workers in August, an in- crease from 61.2 percent in July and only a slight uptick from the Black labor force rate last year (61.7 percent in August 2015). The participation rate for White workers was 62.9 percent in Au- gust, July and June and has only edged up slight- ly since last August (62.6 percent) The unemployment rate for White workers was 4.4 percent in Au- gust, the same mark set in August 2015, and a slight increase from the 4.3 percent rate recorded in July. The unemployment rate for Black men over 20 years-old was 7.6 per- cent in August, an im- provement from 8.2 per- cent in July. The jobless rate for Black women over 20 years-old was 7.1 percent in August, which was a step forward from the 7.3 percent rate a month ago. ome Forward offers housing and support for our Contact Home Forward for more neighbors in need. Because with the stability of a information or to learn about speciic home, individuals can move forward in life. Today, we are opportunities, or for information about more committed than ever to serving our community of resources such as affordable training, Multnomah County by providing hope, access, and the technical assistance, and workforce potential for a better tomorrow. hiring and training programs. To achieve our goals, however, requires the help of our business partners. We frequently have contract opportunities—particularly for minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses—in the following areas: • Professional Services • Construction Services • Social Services The unemployment rate for White men over 20 years-old was 4.1 per- cent in August, the same as July. The participa- tion rate, which was 72 percent in July showed no improvement. The unemployment rate for White women was 3.9 percent in August slight- ly higher than the 3.7 percent mark set in July. The unemployment rate for Hispanic work- ers was 5.6 percent in August 2016 a step back from the 5.4 percent rate set in July. According to The Ham- ilton Project, an econom- ic policy think tank at the Brookings Institution, the economy would need to add 204,000 jobs every month until May 2017 to reach pre-recession em- ployment levels. In a statement about the August jobs report, Main Street Alliance, a national network of small business coali- tions, noted that growth in the retail and restau- rant sectors signaled “increased consumer confidence and spending heading into the holiday shopping season.” The Alliance also re- ported that Washing- ton state led the nation in small business job growth and Seattle topped the list of metro- politan areas. “With job creation and small business success widely attributed to con- sumer confidence and spending, it is hard to ig- nore Seattle’s rising min- imum wage and the role boosting the wages of the lowest-level earners played in earning them the top spot on the list,” the Alliance statement said. The Labor Department also reported upward trends in several service industries, including food services and drink- ing places. Bill Spriggs, the chief economist for the AFL- CIO, a national group of 56 unions that rep- resents more than 12 million workers, noted gains in fast food jobs and in health care in a se- ries of tweets last Friday. “Despite whining about minimum wage increas- es, fast food establish- ments gain 34,000 last month, 312,000 over the year,” Spriggs tweeted. He suggested the Black unemployment rate like- ly decreased, “for right reasons,” because the employment-population ratio, which is the share of the population that is currently employed. also improved from July (56.1 percent) to August (56.9 percent).