Unemployment Ticks Down For Nation & Blacks

Better than expected hiring bolsters argument of continued economic recovery

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday said the national unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent last month, the lowest it’s been in four years. Employers added 146,000 jobs, with retail, professional and business services, and health care making the strong gains. But a total of 12 million people were unemployed. The unemployment rate for blacks fell to 13.2 percent, down from 14.3 percent in October. The rate for Hispanics (10 percent) and whites (6.8 percent) was unchanged. The number of long-term unemployed – people who had been jobless for more than 27 weeks – remained unchanged at 4.8 million in November.

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