Column
Unemployment Is Skyrocketing — and Black Men Need to Ask for Help
Even the broadest calamities expose systemic imbalances, and we’re faced with a difficult decision
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
Black men, there is an alarm at the gate, and the threat is called unemployment. The Labor Department announced last week that 6.6 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week — bringing the total unemployment claims to a staggering, unprecedented 16.8 million. Make no mistake: This is the direct consequence of Covid-19’s impact on businesses large and small, across every sector, and owned by (and employer of) every kind of person that exists. But as I say with every piece, even the broadest calamities expose systemic imbalances.
By all measures, Black Americans fare worse labor prospects than their White counterparts. They face more widespread unemployment, get paid less when they have a job, and experience more employment instability. Further, the Black community is disproportionately uninsured or underinsured, and have fewer financial resources and employment benefits with which to weather this major public health emergency. According to a recent report…
