Dem
47
GOP
53
At a time that Donald Trump is doing everything he can to provoke an incident involving Black people and law enforcement (see above), Black unemployment is skyrocketing. The overall unemployment rate is 4.3% right now, as compared to 4% in January. The unemployment rate for white workers is 3.7%, as compared to 3.5% in January. The unemployment rate for Black workers is 7.5%, which is a full point higher than in January. These numbers come from the government, so believe them or not, as you prefer.
There are a few explanations for this trend. First, the federal government layoffs have disproportionately affected Black workers. Second, the crackdown on DEI initiatives has disproportionately affected Black workers. Third, when the economy starts to slow down, the industries that are first to be affected tend to employ a disproportionate percentage of Black workers.
Societally, this is bad news for everyone. Obviously, for Black workers, it's yet another case of their community taking it in the teeth. Meanwhile, unemployment and the resulting economic privations tend to increase tension levels. And again, this is at a time when the Trump administration is being deliberately provocative in cities like Washington, DC, and—very soon—Memphis.
Politically, whether Trump realizes it or not, this is bad news for him and for his party. Black unemployment, as we note, tends to be a leading indicator of an economic slowdown. If the economy tanks just as the U.S. is heading into the midterms, well, everyone reading this knows what the implications of that are likely to be. Meanwhile, Trump may want a riot so bad he can taste it. However, riots tend to rebound on the party in power, as they make it seem like the nation is out of control, and the person in the White House is asleep at the wheel. So, the President might want to be careful what he wishes for, because he and his party just might get it. (Z)