WASHINGTON D.C.

Fewer Asian Americans were unemployed last month compared to whites, blacks and Hispanics, a new report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed.

The agency began publishing monthly seasonally adjusted on Asian American unemployment at the start of the year. The unemployment rate for Asian Americans was at 4 percent compared to 5.7 percent for the nation.

The number has gone down steadily from October 2014, when it reached 5 percent. It dropped to 4.7 percent in November; 4.2 percent in December, and finally to the most recent 4 percent figure.

According to the data, unemployment among Asian Americans was lower than that for whites, which is 4.9 percent, blacks, 10.3 percent, and Hispanics, 6.9 percent.

The agency issued the data after members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) raised the importance of collecting and publishing it during a meeting with Labor Secretary Tom Perez last spring.

“I applaud the Department of Labor for publishing first of its kind data to help us better understand the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) labor force,” said CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu.

“This new seasonally adjusted employment data comes at an important time during our nation’s economic recovery when seeing who is and is not benefitting is more important than ever. I commend Secretary Perez for his leadership in working with CAPAC to ensure that policymakers have access to information that more accurately reflects the needs of our diverse communities.

 

 

Manila Mail Logo

(Courtesy of Manila Mail, February 16-28, 2015)