Black workers’ views and experiences in the U.S. labor force stand out in key ways
Black workers account for about 13% of all U.S. workers, including those who work full time, part time and are self-employed.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Black workers account for about 13% of all U.S. workers, including those who work full time, part time and are self-employed.
Among the roughly 6 million small business firms with employees, 49% have just one to four workers.
Government data shows gains in education, employment and earnings for Hispanic women, but gaps with other groups remain.
In an August 2022 survey, 54% of Black adults said they had a very or somewhat negative impression of capitalism, up from 40% in May 2019.
As the nation’s economy contracted at a record rate in recent months, the group’s unemployment rate rose sharply, particularly among Hispanic women, and remains higher among Hispanic workers than U.S. workers overall.
For some governments, the debt incurred on COVID-19 relief will add to the considerable red ink already on their ledgers before the pandemic.
Veterans of prime working age generally fare at least as well as non-veterans in the U.S. job market, though there are differences in the work they do.
The overall gain in income among Latino workers is driven by a rise in the share of higher-income immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more years. Yet the incomes of U.S.-born Latinos are still less than since the recession began.
While women are still underrepresented in top corporate jobs, there has been a small increase in the share of women executives in such positions over the past decade.
Despite some ups and downs over the past several decades, today’s real average wage in the U.S. has about the same purchasing power it did 40 years ago. And most of what wage gains there have been have flowed to the highest-paid tier of workers.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center