African Americans Facing Rising Unemployment
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Overall unemployment held steady throughout the nation in the latest jobs report, stirring fears about the economy, but the data reveals an additional hardship on the African American community.
Even though the national unemployment was unchanged at 9.1 percent in August, the unemployment rate for African Americans jumped from 15.9 percent to 16.7 percent. Betty Williams, the president of the Sacramento chapter of the NAACP, said the data shows other ethnicities are finding jobs even as African Americans are losing them.
"We need to do a better job on educating our community on how to start their own business," Williams said. "When you look at individuals that have their own businesses, they normally employ their own."
An even larger issue is education, Williams added. African Americans are suspended or expelled more than any other minority, and "if they are not in the classroom to learn, then they can't get the skill set to get a job," she said.
Lyle Giles, a trained carpenter with 10 years of job experience and 20 years in the military, said he was sidelined by an injury and has been searching for work for three years. He may have a lead -- Giles said he interviewed for a job last week -- but a positive impression with the interviewer doesn't mean he'll get the job, he said.
"There is a lot of competition," Giles said. "Everyone is applying for anything they can get."
"I'm trying to use as much of my experience as I can so I can get my application to the top of the pile, not in the middle," he added.
The NAACP is holding a festival at Miller Park on Broadway Saturday afternoon, which features food, music, and a hiring expo focusing on jobs.
The job fair is scheduled to begin around 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. There is a $5 admission to the festival.
