The unemployment rate among Black men saw a significant improvement in February – even as the rate ticked higher for U.S. workers in general.
The overall unemployment rate edged higher last month to 4.1% from 4% in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report on Friday. Nonfarm payrolls growth also came out underwhelming, according to the data.
To be sure, the unemployment data for February comes amid a push from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the federal workforce. The full impact of those cuts have yet to unfold, and further uncertainties around the direction of the U.S. economy and tariff decisions could affect hiring, according to Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute.
“It’s the calm before the storm,” she said. “We’re not seeing the layoffs in the data yet, for the most part.”
