Despite robust job growth, unemployment remains high for Black workers
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The U.S. economy exceeded expectations in March, adding 178,000 new jobs, but the national numbers mask persistent disparities in the labor market, especially for Black workers.
Even as the overall unemployment rate dipped last month, not everyone felt the relief. In Fayetteville, Adrian Hall is juggling four side gigs just to stay afloat after losing her job at Amazon five months ago.
Hall now babysits, reads tarot cards, prepares taxes, and has launched a juice business from her home.
"I'm trying. I mean, I put applications in just to see them say, 'We're going with other candidates.' Like, why are you going with other candidates if I have all the qualifications for the job or more?" Hall said.
She said she has sent out more than 50 job applications, both online and in person.
"It's kind of depressing because it makes you want to lose faith," Hall said.
By the numbers:
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show Black unemployment has remained high in 2026.
Standing at 7.3% in January, rising to 7.7% in February, and settling at 7.1% in March. That's nearly twice the rate for White workers and well above the national average of 4.3%.
- U.S. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Black unemployment rate: 7.1%
- White unemployment rate: 3.6%
- Hispanic unemployment rate: 4.8%
- Adult women: 4.0%
"You have these kinds of disparities growing as they normally do in recessions. And the same kind of goes back to the, you know, long-term unemployed. So somebody gets laid off, they have a harder time finding a job," said Gerald Cohen, chief economist at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Cohen and other experts point to differences in professional networks and education as possible reasons for the lingering unemployment gap.
"I think some of this is because of the types of jobs and that these communities tend to be in," Cohen explained.
For Hall, the side gigs don't come close to her previous earnings.
"There were plenty of times that I felt like I was going to lose hope because nobody wants this, nobody wants to depend on nobody, and be jobless at your grown age," she said.
With prices continuing to climb, Hall said she's relying on her family for support as she waits for a job offer and hopes for a turnaround soon.
