New Study: Youth Employment Rates Dropping For Black Men, Increasing For Hispanic Women

CHICAGO (CBS) - More black men in Chicago are working, specifically men ages 20 to 24.

In 2014, 46% of this group was out of work.  Two years later, the number dipped to just 37%.

CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker explains the numbers for Hispanics are not as encouraging.

According to the research from the Great Cities Institute, the number of young black men ages 20 to 24 out of school and out of work dropped from a 2014 high of 16,156 to a 2016 low of 10,604.

Young black women went from 12,551 to 9,076.

Darsheena Hubbard is a student at Innovation High School and one of the many who found jobs.

"I did the online applications, I did the interview, and the next day they emailed me and said I got the position," said Hubbard.

An improving economy and job training are two reasons for the decrease.

"[Job training] helped me to better my opportunities and showed me that it's more in life you can achieve," stated Jervante Burkes, who also found a job recently at Blaze Pizza.

Teresa Cordova of the Great Cities Institute says she's not entirely sure why the trend differs for young Hispanic women. Those without jobs jumped from 5,216 to 7,566.

In the Mexican community of Pilsen, Jennifer Martinez, 24, says she believes it is because of the language barrier, as some people don't' speak English.

Cordova states that the overall message is, "There is a need for small business incubators that tap into talents and creativity of young people and turn those into marketable goods and services."

While the news is encouraging for black youth, researchers point out that overall, the numbers are still disappointing.

One in three black youth do not have a job, so they say there's still work to be done.