8 Things You Need to Know from EPI's New Report on State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity

Two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the labor market is approaching 2020 levels. But a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that disparities remain in terms of race and ethnicity. Here are eight important things from the EPI report you should know.

1. The overall unemployment rate of 3.8% is currently the same level it was at the beginning of 2020. The majority of states have an unemployment rate within 1% of what they had in 2020.
2. The lowest unemployment rates are in Nebraska and Utah (both at 2.1%). The highest rates are Washington, D.C. (6.1%) and New Mexico (5.6%).
3. The unemployment rate for White workers is the same in 2022 (3%) as it was pre-pandemic.
4. The unemployment rate for Black workers remains higher (6.5%) than before the pandemic (6.2%). 
5. No state saw Black unemployment below 5%. The states with the lowest rates were Georgia (5%) and Florida (5.3%). The highest rates were in D.C. (12.5%) and Illinois (12.2%).
6. Hispanic workers have an unemployment rate (4.6%) slightly below their 2020 rate (4.8%).
7. The states with the lowest Hispanic unemployment are Georgia (2%) and North Carolina (2.5%). Those with the highest rates are Massachusetts (7.5%) and New York (6.3%).
8. For Asian workers, the current unemployment rate is higher (3.4%) than it was before the pandemic (3.1%).

Read the full report.