U.S. recession pains minorities, but hope persists

By Andrew Stern

Blacks and Hispanics have suffered disproportionately in the recession because they often lack seniority, and they are heavily represented in the hard-hit retail, manufacturing and auto industries, Morial said in an interview.

The unemployment rate for U.S. blacks has hovered between 1-1/2 times and double that of whites for several years.

So as the national jobless rate has risen to 9.5 percent -- and is predicted to rise further -- the rate among blacks has jumped as high as 15 percent and the rate among Hispanics is 12.7 percent, while white unemployment reached 8.7 percent
midway through 2009. Read more...