Primary tabs
Location
Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy added a net of 227,000 jobs in February, making it the 4th consecutive month that job growth exceeded 200,000. Private sector job growth (excludes government losses) was 233,000, indicating continued improvement in the U.S labor market, although there is a considerable ways to go to make up the roughly 10 million jobs needed to return to full employment (roughly 6%). The number of unemployed people remained unchanged at 12.8 million in February as the labor force participation rate increased slightly to 63.9%.
Private sector job growth was again distributed across most major industries with the highest growth in professional and business services (+82,000), health care (+61,000), leisure & hospitality (+44,000), and manufacturing (+31,000). Only three industries lost jobs in February -- construction (-13,000), retail trade (-7,400) and government (-6,000). Government job losses slowed considerably in February, but a total of -226,000 government jobs — over half of which were at the local level -- have been cut since February of last year.
The national unemployment rate for February remained at 8.3%. The black unemployment rate rose slightly to 14.1% (from 13.6%), driven mainly by an increase in black male unemployment — from 12.7% to 14.3%. The unemployment rate for black women changed little (from 12.6% to 12.4%). The unemployment rate for whites remained essentially the same at 7.3% (from 7.4%) as did the Hispanic rate at 10.7% (from 10.5%). Rates of teen unemployment were 21.3% for whites (from 21.1%), 34.7% for African-Americans (from 38.5%) and 27.5% for Latinos (from 24.9%, not seasonally adjusted). The rate of underemployment (including the unemployed, marginally attached and those working part-time for economic reasons) was 14.9% (from 15.1%). The ranks of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) remains elevated at 5.4 million or 42.6% of all unemployed.
NUL's February 2012 Employment report and a transcript of Dr. Valerie Rawlston Wilson's online jobs chat are available at www.iamempowered.com.
Obstruction of Judicial Nominations in the Senate Leaving Millions of Americans without Justice
According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, more than 160 million Americans – over half the U.S. population – currently live in a community with a courtroom vacancy. Currently, there are 22 judicial nominees who are awaiting a simple up-or-down (yea or nay) vote in the United States Senate. These nominees have been waiting for months for a vote, leaving vacancies that ultimately deny Americans the right to have their cases heard in the courts. The 22 pending nominees enjoy broad Democratic and Republican support:
- 10 were approved unanimously by Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee
- 6 received just one “no” vote
- 13 are from states represented by at least one Republican Senator who support the nominees
- Of the 22 pending nominations, 11 would fill court vacancies in communities across the country that are deemed “judicial emergencies”
- And, of the 22 nominees, 18 would bring diversity to our courts where 9 are women and 9 represent minorities
This week the Senate has the opportunity to vote to confirm 17 of the 22 pending highly-qualified Federal district court nominations if it can overcome Republican filibusters. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) has set the stage for votes to overcome Republican filibusters of these nominees, despite a number of individual Republicans’ support for their respective nominees from their states. The following Senators need to be contacted, asking them to appeal to their Senate Republican Leader, Mitch McConnell (KY), to end the filibusters and allow a vote on the nominees of their choice:
- Senator Orrin Hatch (Utah)
- Senator Mark Kirk (IL)
- Senator David Vitter (LA)
- Senator Roy Blunt (MO)
- Senator John Boozman (Ark)
- Senator Scott Brown (MA)
- Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)
- Senator Rob Portman (OH)
- Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
What is at stake here is the ability of every American to have his or her day in court. With 10% of our nation’s courtrooms empty, justice delayed is justice denied!
National Urban League pleased to see the release of new federal education data on inequality in public schools
The U.S. Department of Education released new federal education data that will be tremendously important to communities of color. The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) revealed disturbing trends of inequities in our nation's schools. Among the key findings are:
- African-American students, particularly males, are far more likely to be suspended or expelled from school than their peers. Black students make up 18% of the students in the CRDC sample, but 35% of the students suspended, and 39% of the students expelled.
- Students learning English (ELL) were 6% of the CRDC high school enrollment, but made up 12% of students retained.
- Only 29% of high-minority high schools offered Calculus, compared to 55% of schools with the lowest black and Hispanic enrollment.
- Teachers in high-minority schools were paid $2251 less per year than their colleagues in other schools.
The National Urban League joined with partners in the coalition, Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE) to comment on the release of the data. Read the statement here.
