Dismal.
The Labor Department’s most recent report painted a dreary picture for all the unemployed who are hoping to realize their version of the American Dream, but the picture for black job-seekers is especially disconcerting.
Black unemployment surged to 16.7 percent in August, its highest level since 1984, while the unemployment rate for whites fell slightly to 8 percent.
“This month’s numbers continue to bear out that longstanding pattern that minorities have a much more challenging time getting jobs,” said Bill Rodgers, chief economist with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.
Black unemployment has remained about double that of whites since the government started tracking the figures 40 years ago. And, black men have it the worst, with joblessness at a staggeringly high 19.1 percent, compared to 14.5 percent for black women.
Keeping in mind that the chronically unemployed are not counted in these totals, the situation is pretty damn dire.
The good news is, there are some career jobs that look to be destined for growth over the coming decades. Here are 10 of them:
