Black unemployment at record low but still nearly double that of whites

CNN - Black unemployment is at a record low... Still, at 6.8%, black unemployment remains well above the rate for white people, at 3.7%. That disparity is deeply rooted and a continuing cause of concern for economists and advocates.

The racial unemployment gap is an enduring feature of the American labor market, with African Americans averaging about twice the rate of white people. ... Scholars attribute the disparity to a combination of factors: Hiring discrimination, lower educational attainment, and a higher rate of people with criminal records, who are barred from many occupations.

There has been improvement over the years. In 1990, only 11.3% of African Americans had four-year college degrees, compared to 22% for whites, according to Census data. In 2017, those numbers had risen to 24% and 34.5%.

Still, the racial unemployment gap hasn't receded much. One reason, experts say, is that white and black job applicants are still treated differently. Many studies, which typically test employer reactions to similar resumes with white and black-sounding names, have documented this disparity.

In addition to the employment gap, African American workers still earn less income and possess only 15% of the median wealth of white families, according to the Federal Reserve.

Note: The black unemployment rate has been dropping at a pretty steady  rate for the past decadeso Donald Trump can't properly claim credit for it. - Undernews