The Labor Department announced today that unemployment has fallen to 8.5%. This is the fourth month in a row that we’ve seen the unemployment rate drop.

Black unemployment continued to rise however, climbing from 15.5% to 15.8%, and from 39.8% to 42.1% amongst Black teens.

Still, today’s news bodes very well for President Obama’s reelection prospects.

But what about us?

 

From NewsOne:

“A better job market is a positive sign for President Barack Obama, who is bound to face voters with the highest unemployment rate of any sitting president since World War II. Unemployment was 7.8 percent when Obama took office in January 2009.

Still, the level may matter less to his re-election chances if the rate continues to fall. History suggests that presidents’ re-election prospects hinge less on the unemployment rate itself than on the rate’s direction during the year or two before Election Day.”

Read the rest of this article at NewsOne.com

While it’s great that unemployment is falling in general, obviously very little is being done to directly address the experiences of African Americans in our country’s current economic situation.

Why does unemployment in our community continue to rise, while  the rest of America finds relief?

Are we still the first fired and the last hired?

Is enough being done?

Why do you think the unemployment rate fell for everyone except Black people?

Is enough being done to address Black unemployment?

Sound off below!