Unemployment or Jobless Rates of the U.S. Population by Race

Blacks or African American 16.4

Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity 12.2

White 8.5

Asian 6.4

Unemployment or jobless rates of the U.S. Population by race

In February, 104 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, up from 12 areas a year earlier, while 92 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, down from 332 areas in February 2008.

El Centro, Calif., recorded the highest unemployment rate, 24.5 percent. The areas with the next highest rates were Merced, Calif.,19.9 percent; Yuba City, Calif., 18.9 percent; and Elkhart-Goshen,Ind., 18.0 percent. Among the 14 areas with jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, 10 were located in California. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, La., registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.5 percent in February. Overall, 158 areas posted unemployment rates above the U.S. figure of 8.9 percent, 206 areas reported rates below it, and 8 areas had the same rate. (See table 1.)

Elkhart-Goshen, Ind., recorded the largest jobless rate increase from February 2008 (+12.5 percentage points). The next largest over-the-year rate increases were posted in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C.(+9.3 percentage points) and Bend, Ore. (+8.0 points). An additional 24 areas registered over-the-year unemployment rate increases of 6.0 percentage points or more, and another 41 areas had rate increases of 5.0 to 5.9 points.

Source: United States Department of Labor