Black Coloradans face double the unemployment rate of white workers
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Black Coloradans face an unemployment rate twice as high as white residents, per an Axios Denver analysis of data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
Why it matters: Colorado's strong labor market masks a persistent racial disparity that traditional job reports often overlook.
By the numbers: As of the third quarter of 2024, white workers in Colorado had an unemployment rate of 3.4%, while Black workers' rate was doubly high, at 6.8%, according to figures from the EPI, a nonpartisan think tank.
- With the state's overall unemployment rate at 4%, Black Coloradans experience a gap that is 2.8 percentage points higher than the statewide average.
Zoom out: Colorado has the 11th-largest Black unemployment gap in the country, an Axios Denver analysis found.
- The widest gaps appear in Kentucky (6.1 percentage points), Washington, D.C. (5.2), and Ohio (4.8).
- Delaware (0.8), Mississippi (0.8) and Maryland (0.9) have the smallest.
How it works: EPI's estimates are based on a combination of Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Population Survey data.
The big picture: The national Black unemployment gap is about the lowest it's been since at least late 1978 — the earliest period included in EPI's estimates.
- National Black unemployment hit an all-time low in 2023 and remains historically low amid a surprisingly equitable post-COVID economic recovery.
The bottom line: Despite recent progress, Black workers in Colorado and across the country continue to face a steeper climb toward job security than their white counterparts.