Joseph Dean is NCRC’s Racial Economic Junior Research Specialist. He started off as a research intern here at NCRC in the spring 2023 before being brought on full time. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Howard University. His research interests include environmental economics, international trade, and racial and class inequality. In his free […]
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) June jobs report, the national economy added 57,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.2%. The former was substantially below economists’ expectations of 115,000 jobs. Monthly job gains have trended downward since March, going from 214,000 to 57,000. The drop in the unemployment rate was
As the economy roils from the shockwaves of the tariff/trade war of last year and the ongoing and intensifying energy shock from the Iran war, the unemployment rate remains low at 4.3%. 100,000 jobs were added in April, which was the first consecutive month of positive growth since April of 2025. Despite the positives in
Black Men Face a Worsening Jobs Market: May 2026 Race, Jobs and Economy Update Read More »
In last month’s edition of the Race, Jobs and the Economy series, we explored whether the 6-figure job gains seen in January were either a sign that the labor market was about to experience a turnaround or simply a fluke. It seems the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report provides an answer. The
It’s hard to overstate how much of a surprise the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January jobs report was with 130,000 jobs being added and an unemployment rate that declined a tenth of a percent to 4.3%. This was the first jobs report that resoundingly exceeded consensus expectations since 2024. The diffusion rate – a measure
Is an Economic Turnaround on the Horizon? February’s Race, Jobs and the Economy Recap Read More »
In December of last year, Senator Bernie Sanders called for a national moratorium on the construction of data centers “that are powering the unregulated sprint to develop & deploy AI.” Sanders’ stand follows bipartisan backlash resisting proposals to construct data centers in communities across the country. Recent reporting from Data Center Watch shows an estimated
Coinciding with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released its annual State of the Dream report.
New Report Finds That Economic Conditions Are Deteriorating For African Americans Read More »
Join Joseph Dean, NCRC’s Racial Economic Equity Junior Research Specialist, at the Penn BLSA 38th Annual Dr. Sadie T. M. Alexander Commemorative Conference. Hosted at the University of Pennsylvania Law School on February 21, 2026, this conference will feature a full day of insightful discussions and valuable networking opportunities. The event honors the legacy of
38th Annual Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander Commemorative Conference Read More »
2025 was a year of slowing job gains, a bifurcated consumer economy and trade war uncertainties. These negative trends will likely continue and intensify in 2026. The last jobs report for the year produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics only further confirms the anemic nature of the jobs market. The economy added a modest
In a New Year, Old Uncertainties Remain: January 2026’s Race, Jobs and the Economy Recap Read More »
The end of the longest government shutdown in American history means the resumption of the long-awaited monthly economic data releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, the November BLS jobs report and a number of other noteworthy economic data releases have been delayed for weeks. What we know about the state of the
No Christmas Miracle This Year: December 2025 Race, Jobs and Economy Update Read More »
