[Posted Feb. 6, 2008]

Rise In Black
Joblessness
Heightens Fears
Of Recession

      (Taylor Media Services) - Joblessness among African Americans rose from 9 percent in December to 9.2 percent last month as the Labor Department reported the nation suffered its first actual loss in jobs in more than four years. The news immediately raised already heightened fears about a possible recession.
      In January, America lost 17,000 jobs. Since August of 2003, the nation had experienced steady growth in job creation. Overall, last month’s unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent down from 5.0 percent in December. The decrease suggested that an increasing number of people had given up looking for employment. The government does not count a person as unemployed if he or she is not actively searching for work.
      The Labor Department’s unemployment data came on the heels of a Commerce Department report showing the nation’s output of goods and services grew by just 0.6 percent during the fourth quarter of 2007.

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