US Latino Unemployment Rate Rises in March, More Latinas Unemployed Than Latino Males

*Latino unemployment rose to 6.8 percent from February to March. Overall, not good news. But if you’re looking for a silver lining, a year ago the Latino unemployment rate was 7.9 percent. VL

By Michael Oleaga, Latin Post

While the overall U.S. unemployment went unchanged in March, last month did see an unemployment rate increase for the U.S. Latino community.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed the country’s Latino unemployment rate spiked by 0.2 percent from February to March. Specifically, the Latino unemployment rate went from 6.6 percent to 6.8 percent. Although the March Latino unemployment rate increased, it is down considerably compared to March 2014 when the rate was 7.9 percent.

While 1.77 million Latinos are unemployed, 13.2 million Latinos are not in the labor force. The “not in the labor force” rate represents individuals over the age of 16 who are classified as neither employed nor unemployed.

The unemployment rate among Latinas increased compared to Latino males. The Latina unemployment rate increased from 6.1 percent in February to 6.5 percent in March.

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