The unemployment rate dropped nationwide in May, but new figures released Friday show that so far Asians and Blacks are being left out of the recovery.
Reuters reports the unemployment rate of Asian Americans rose from 14.5% in April to 15% in May.
The rate for Blacks also rose to 16.7% in May, up 0.1% from April. This as overall, joblessness dropped to 13.3% in May, a significant drop from April’s 14.7%. Most of the jobs seemed to have gone to White employees. White employment increased 3.3%.
In Minnesota, 24% of Asian Americans applied for unemployment compared to 22% of the overall population, according to MPR News.
“Little Mekong is a destination for Asian businesses and restaurants and culture, and so we’re really concerned that the Little Mekong district could disappear because of COVID-19,” said Va-Megn Thoj, executive director of the Asian Economic Development Association to MPR.
California, the state with the most Asian Americans, does not break down its numbers according to race.
In New York, with the second largest Asian American population, unemployment rose more then 4,000% in the latest statistics available for the week ended May 9.
Even as businesses begin to reopen, optimism is not high.
“Even though we may reopen by the end of this month or whatever, I don’t think people are going to be coming out to eat or shopping,” Gary Lin said to ABC News. “I don’t think that business will recover just like before.”
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