Black unemployment rate declines in August

The unemployment rate for Black workers slipped in August, bucking the broader trend of a higher overall jobless rate.

The overall unemployment rate ticked up to 3.8% last month, the highest since February 2022. It came as the labor force participation rate — a measure of the number of people who are employed or seeking employment — climbed to 62.8% for its highest level since February 2020.

The jobless rate declined for Black workers, sliding to 5.3% in August, compared to 5.8% in July.

When accounting for gender, the unemployment rate for Black men age 20 and older came down to 5%, a decline from the 5.3% rate in July. Black women saw their jobless rate…