Unemployment Rate By Race for People with Less than a High School Diploma in the United States
Updated on March 17, 2023.

In February 2023, the unemployment rate (without seasonal adjustment) of Blacks aged 25 years and over in the United States who do not have a high school diploma was 11%; that of Whites in the same age group and educational level was 6.8%, and that of Asians in the same age group and educational level was 7.2%.

The chart and table below shows the historical unemployment rate (without seasonal adjustment) by race for people aged 25 years and over who do not have a high school diploma in the United States from January 2002 to February 2023.

Note: The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics currently reports race related monthly unemployment rates for three main races: Black, White, and Asian.

Unemployment Rate By Race for People with Less than High School Diploma in the US (%)
Black
White
Asian
Unemployment Rate By Race for People with Less than High School Diploma in the US (%)
Items per page:
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Month Black (%) White (%) Asian (%)
January 2002 15.3 9.2 6.2
February 2002 13.6 8.6 13.4
March 2002 13.5 8.4 13.3
April 2002 13.2 7.5 10
May 2002 11.6 6.5 9.7
June 2002 13.2 6 9
July 2002 12.2 7.2 10
August 2002 12.1 7 5.1
September 2002 10.4 6.5 7.2
October 2002 12.8 7.2 5.5
November 2002 15.4 8 6.7
December 2002 16.4 8.7 6.3
January 2003 17.8 9.4 8.5
February 2003 15 9.5 7.9
March 2003 13.6 9 10.5
April 2003 10.3 7.5 7.1
May 2003 13.5 7.1 6.4
June 2003 15.9 7.3 9.6
July 2003 15.2 7.1 7.4
August 2003 13.2 7.6 10.8
September 2003 12.6 6.7 13.7
October 2003 14.5 6.9 11.5
November 2003 11.9 8 7.7
December 2003 13 7.7 13.2
January 2004 14.7 10.1 10.1
February 2004 11.8 9.6 7.9
March 2004 13.8 9.5 5
April 2004 12.8 7.4 5.7
May 2004 12.5 7.2 6
June 2004 14.9 6.9 7
July 2004 17.9 6.2 5.4
August 2004 15.1 6.4 2.3
September 2004 17.7 6.4 5.8
October 2004 17.8 6.1 6
November 2004 18.9 6.4 3.4
December 2004 17.3 7.4 6.7
January 2005 15.4 8.2 6.2
February 2005 20.2 7.5 4.5
March 2005 18.9 7.3 4.8
April 2005 15.5 6.7 4.5
May 2005 12 6 4.1
June 2005 11.9 5.4 6
July 2005 12.6 6.1 6.7
August 2005 12.4 6.2 4.4
September 2005 11.4 6.7 7.8
October 2005 12.2 5.7 3.4
November 2005 16.2 5.7 7.2
December 2005 14.1 6.7 6
January 2006 14.1 7.4 2.3
February 2006 16.6 7.2 3.3
March 2006 13.8 7 4.3
April 2006 11.6 5.8 6.1
May 2006 14.8 4.9 2.4
June 2006 12.1 5.6 4.7
July 2006 13.3 5.8 2
August 2006 11.9 5.6 4.7
September 2006 12.3 5 2.8
October 2006 8.5 4.7 3.4
November 2006 12.3 5.5 5.2
December 2006 12 6.6 3.5
January 2007 11.5 7.6 4.2
February 2007 11 8.2 4.8
March 2007 13 7.1 3
April 2007 10.4 6.6 3.6
May 2007 10.9 5.3 1.3
June 2007 11.3 5.5 3
July 2007 14.2 5.9 3.8
August 2007 10.6 5.4 2.9
September 2007 11.2 6.4 1.6
October 2007 12.3 5.8 2.2
November 2007 14.3 6.8 2.4
December 2007 14 7.7 2.2
January 2008 13.5 8.2 6.8
February 2008 10.6 8.3 5.1
March 2008 14.2 8.7 9.8
April 2008 13.5 6.7 4.2
May 2008 13.1 6.7 4.3
June 2008 11.7 7.4 7.8
July 2008 14 7.5 4.7
August 2008 16.9 7.9 7.4
September 2008 17.7 7.9 3.8
October 2008 16.5 8.3 5.7
November 2008 17.5 9.5 8.3
December 2008 15.4 11.4 8.1
January 2009 20.9 13.7 8.3
February 2009 21.4 14.8 6.5
March 2009 20.7 15.2 9.8
April 2009 22.3 13.8 9
May 2009 19.5 13.3 7.9
June 2009 20.5 13.7 8.1
July 2009 21.7 13.8 9
August 2009 22.5 13.9 8.4
September 2009 21.3 12.8 7.5
October 2009 22 13.2 8.5
November 2009 21.7 13.7 7.9
December 2009 21.6 15.3 10
January 2010 25.9 16.9 9.9
February 2010 24.4 17.4 15
March 2010 21.3 15.6 10.7
April 2010 20.9 13.7 10.9
May 2010 22.3 12.2 12
June 2010 17.9 12.1 13.6
July 2010 21.2 11.9 10.7
August 2010 22.8 11.9 9.2
September 2010 24.5 13.1 7.1
October 2010 24.5 12.6 12.4
November 2010 23 14.3 11.3
December 2010 22.1 15.1 9.2
January 2011 25.9 15.3 9.6
February 2011 25.8 14.7 12.2
March 2011 23.8 14 11.3
April 2011 25.5 12.9 9.8
May 2011 26.6 11.9 9.9
June 2011 26 11.3 9.5
July 2011 26.3 12.6 10.1
August 2011 27.5 11.6 7.9
September 2011 22.1 11.9 6.6
October 2011 20 11.4 9.8
November 2011 22.2 11.4 7.6
December 2011 24.2 13.1 9.9
January 2012 21.7 14 8.8
February 2012 24.2 13.8 8.5
March 2012 19.3 13.2 9.6
April 2012 20.1 11.7 4.8
May 2012 23.7 11.1 4.9
June 2012 22.5 10.1 4.9
July 2012 24.4 10.6 6.1
August 2012 18.6 10.3 5.2
September 2012 13.5 10 3.7
October 2012 17.8 10.5 6.8
November 2012 16.2 11.1 9.4
December 2012 22.3 10.8 8.8
January 2013 25.6 12.5 8.1
February 2013 22.6 11.7 9
March 2013 19.3 11 9
April 2013 22.5 9.9 7.8
May 2013 19.4 9 8.4
June 2013 20.7 7.7 8
July 2013 21.6 9.1 4.4
August 2013 22.1 8.8 5.1
September 2013 20.8 8.1 4.8
October 2013 18.7 9 8.8
November 2013 16.7 9.8 5.4
December 2013 16.8 9.7 3.4
January 2014 19.2 10.3 2.2
February 2014 17.3 10.6 5.3
March 2014 16.5 9.2 8.8
April 2014 14.8 7.4 8.8
May 2014 15.9 7.5 9.6
June 2014 17 7.2 6.4
July 2014 22.5 8 2.7
August 2014 15.4 7.6 5.6
September 2014 14.1 6.1 9
October 2014 15.8 5.7 9.9
November 2014 17.1 6.8 9.1
December 2014 20.5 7.5 5.8
January 2015 19.7 8.3 5.7
February 2015 16.8 8.3 7.3
March 2015 19 8.2 4.1
April 2015 17.5 7.1 5.4
May 2015 16.8 6.9 4.3
June 2015 13.5 6.5 3
July 2015 17.1 7.1 3.3
August 2015 16.7 6 2.4
September 2015 12.5 5.9 8
October 2015 13.6 5.8 6.5
November 2015 15.4 5.4 6.6
December 2015 11.7 6.3 8.7
January 2016 17.1 7.4 3.9
February 2016 15.8 7.2 5.4
March 2016 15.4 6.9 5.3
April 2016 11.9 6.8 6.2
May 2016 11 6.2 3.3
June 2016 12.9 6 4.6
July 2016 11.8 5.4 5.3
August 2016 14.5 5.6 3.7
September 2016 15.8 6.4 3.9
October 2016 13.2 6.1 1.3
November 2016 14.1 6.8 2
December 2016 15.4 7.4 2.5
January 2017 16.5 8.2 5.5
February 2017 16.7 7.5 3.2
March 2017 14.1 6.9 3.9
April 2017 13.1 5.6 1.8
May 2017 11.2 4.7 2.5
June 2017 9.6 5.2 4.9
July 2017 12.9 5.5 8.6
August 2017 9.5 4.7 6.9
September 2017 11.1 5 4.9
October 2017 11.1 4.4 3.4
November 2017 11.2 4.1 4.5
December 2017 12 6.2 2
January 2018 12.7 6.6 1.7
February 2018 12.1 6.3 5.4
March 2018 11.5 5.9 2.1
April 2018 9 5.5 3.8
May 2018 8.3 4.4 0.8
June 2018 6.8 4.7 1.9
July 2018 6.9 4.4 5.9
August 2018 8.4 4.9 1.5
September 2018 9.3 4.3 3.8
October 2018 11.8 4.2 2.7
November 2018 13.7 4.5 3.3
December 2018 14.8 5.5 2.9
January 2019 14.2 6.9 2.9
February 2019 11.8 6.2 2.2
March 2019 14.1 6 3.2
April 2019 12.1 4.3 5.2
May 2019 9.3 4.1
June 2019 9 4.1 2.6
July 2019 7.8 4.4 1.3
August 2019 8 4.5 3.2
September 2019 6.1 3.7 4.7
October 2019 8.8 4 5.8
November 2019 8.7 4.7 2.6
December 2019 7.7 5.9 2.6
January 2020 10.9 6.8 2
February 2020 11.1 6.6 0.6
March 2020 12.3 7.4 3.4
April 2020 21.3 19.5 31.4
May 2020 19.8 17 33.8
June 2020 19.5 13.4 35.6
July 2020 21.1 13.4 22.9
August 2020 20.9 10.1 20.9
September 2020 14.1 9 10.9
October 2020 16.3 7.9 13.5
November 2020 13.8 7.7 13.4
December 2020 15.1 9.4 8
January 2021 14.1 10.3 6.3
February 2021 18.6 10.7 9.5
March 2021 18.7 8 9
April 2021 20.5 7.8 3.2
May 2021 15.7 7.3 10.2
June 2021 20.8 7.8 12.2
July 2021 15 8.3 9.8
August 2021 14.1 5.8 8.5
September 2021 12.3 6 5.2
October 2021 13 5.6 2.7
November 2021 8.4 4.5 3.6
December 2021 10.4 5 1.7
January 2022 15.3 7.4 0.2
February 2022 11.7 5 3.9
March 2022 11 5.5 1.4
April 2022 7.8 5 2.5
May 2022 6.2 4.2 3.6
June 2022 10 4.3 5.1
July 2022 12.2 4.8 4.3
August 2022 9.5 4.8 3.1
September 2022 8.1 3.8 3.6
October 2022 9 4.8 2.8
November 2022 6.8 3.4 0.5
December 2022 9.5 4.8 2.9
January 2023 6.3 6.4 3.2
February 2023 11 6.8 7.2