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WASHINGTON (AP) — The unemployment rate for black Americans fell to a record low in April, though not necessarily for positive reasons.
The jobless rate for African-Americans reached 6.6 percent, the lowest level on Labor Department records dating to 1972. Though some of them found work, many others stopped looking for a job and so weren't categorized as unemployed. The government counts people as unemployed only if they're actively looking for work. When fewer people seek a job, the unemployment rate often declines.
Though it has improved in recent years, the unemployment rate for African-Americans remains stubbornly higher than the rates for other racial and ethnic groups.
Among age groups, the jobless rate for teenagers fell from to 12.9 percent, the lowest level since 2000.
All told, employers added 164,000 jobs in April. The unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, the lowest level since December 2000.
The data for demographic groups came from a survey of households that is part of the Labor Department's monthly jobs report.
| Unemployment rate by group: | |||
| (Numbers in percentages) | April 2018 | March 2018 | April 2017 |
| White | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Black | 6.6 | 6.9 | 7.9 |
| Asian | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Hispanic or Latino ethnicity\*\* | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Adult men | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
| Adult women | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
| Teenagers | 12.9 | 13.5 | 14.7 |
| 20-24 years old | 6.7 | 6.6 | 7.3 |
| 25-54 years old | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
| 55 and over | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan\* | 4.9 | 5.0 | 3.9 |
| No high school diploma | 5.9 | 5.5 | 6.5 |
| High school graduate | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Some college | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 |
| College graduate | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Duration of Unemployment: | |||
| Average length (weeks) | 23.1 | 24.1 | 24.3 |
| Jobless 6 months or more (pct.) | 20.0 | 20.3 | 22.8 |
| \*Not seasonally adjusted | |||
| \*\*Includes all races | |||
| Source: Labor Department |
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