Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: March 2019 Report Edition

Earlier this morning, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of March. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth staff highlighting important trends in the data.

1.

The employment rate for those in their prime working years is at pre-Recession levels, but is still below its high 20 years ago.

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2.

Unemployment for African American workers is lower than it’s been in 20 years, but continues to be much higher than that for White workers, demonstrating the structural barriers that still exist.

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3.

Unemployment rates are significantly lower for workers with a Bachelors degree or greater, representing polarization in the labor market.

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4.

More workers are working part-time voluntarily than involuntarily, as a tighter labor market gives more workers the opportunity to choose their employment status

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5.

The pace of wage growth decreased slightly in March, but is still approaching healthy levels as it has trended up over the past year.

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