Black Unemployment Rate at 11.4 Percent

By now most people know that the unemployment rate for black Americans usually is twice that of white Americans. The rate for blacks stands at 11.4 percent; for whites, it’s 5.3 percent. (Source)

The national rate of unemployment is 6.1 percent. The rate for Hispanics is lower than blacks but higher than whites at 7.5 percent.

Considering the racial disparities, one would think Democrats would be all over this news and coming up with possible solutions to narrow the disparities. But people who support open borders, amnesty for illegal aliens, and raising the minimum wage to an absurd $15 per hour have a hard time coming up with workable ideas.

What is workable? Lowering taxes and reducing government regulations would be a start. Star Parker believes enterprise zones would help reduce black unemployment.

Jason Riley, author of Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make it Harder for Blacks to Succeed, told The Daily Caller that “Democrats have a vested interest in black dependency on government. It’s one way that Democrats keep blacks loyal — they present themselves as the party who gives people things.”

Riley looked at government policies that came after the 1960s civil rights era and found that “affirmative action,” limiting school choice, and minimum wage laws hurt blacks. The implication is that blacks were better matched to their jobs, and the unemployment was lower during Jim Crow.

Photo credit: Bernard Pollack (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved