• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

I wrote that Boomers were choking America’s economy. Their responses to me were revealing

2

A rare 'super' El Niño is looking more likely. Here’s what to expect

3

If Elon Musk merges SpaceX with Tesla he'll create a $3.4 trillion behemoth—with zero profits

1

I wrote that Boomers were choking America’s economy. Their responses to me were revealing

2

A rare 'super' El Niño is looking more likely. Here’s what to expect

3

If Elon Musk merges SpaceX with Tesla he'll create a $3.4 trillion behemoth—with zero profits
LeadershipWhite House

Trump Took Credit for the ‘Lowest Rate Ever Recorded’ of African-American Unemployment. The Reality Is More Complex

Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 30, 2018, 11:23 PM ET

President Donald Trump once again touted a record-low unemployment rate among African Americans in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, crediting his administration’s policies for the improvement.

“African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded, and Hispanic-American unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history,” Trump said at the top of his State of the Union speech, while listing the accomplishments of his administration during his first year of his presidency.

Numerically, Trump’s claim about the current African-American unemployment rate is true: In December 2017, it was 6.8 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is the lowest unemployment rate since 1972, the earliest date for which the BLS provides data. But attributing the reduced rate to Trump’s policies is more complicated.

The unemployment rate among African Americans has been steadily declining since March 2010, when 16.8 percent of African Americans were unemployed. By the time Trump entered office in January of 2017, the African American unemployment rate had already decreased 9 points. While Trump was in office, it decreased by one point — keeping up a trend that had already been in place.

It’s a similar situation with the Hispanic unemployment rate, which was also at a record low of 4.9 percent in December of 2017, according to BLS statistics. That number has also been declining steadily since March 2010, when it was 12.9 percent. Like the African-American unemployment rate, the Hispanic unemployment rate only declined one point during Trump’s first year in office.

Moreover, both the African-American and Hispanic unemployment rates are still higher than the overall U.S. unemployment rate, which was 4.1 percent in December of 2017.

Trump’s State of the Union address was not the first time he touted the low African-American unemployment rate. Most recently, Jay-Z said the low unemployment rate doesn’t compensate for Trump’s treatment of African Americans in an interview with CNN’s Van Jones, and he took to Twitter to fire back at the rapper.

Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2018

During his campaign, Trump made headlines when he offered African-Americans a novel argument for why they should vote for him. “What do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump?” he said at the time. “You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed — what the hell do you have to lose?”

That time, though, Trump was wrong about the statistics surrounding the youth unemployment rate. The African-American youth unemployment rate at the time, according to Politifact, was actually about half of that — 27.1 percent.

About the Author
Alana Abramson
By Alana Abramson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Okta’s COO says companies are in denial about the hardest part of the AI revolution: redesigning work itself
ConferencesCOO Summit
Okta’s COO says companies are in denial about the hardest part of the AI revolution: redesigning work itself
By Nick LichtenbergJune 1, 2026
7 minutes ago
Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, makes his way to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 13, 2023 in Sun Valley, Idaho
InvestingWarren Buffett
Buffett says Abel ‘has launched’ with his first big Berkshire deal: an $8.5 billion housing bet
By Eva RoytburgJune 1, 2026
2 hours ago
g
Economydisruption
Gen Z is losing the most in the AI economy—and Goldman warns it’s about to get worse
By Nick LichtenbergJune 1, 2026
4 hours ago
AI will turn all of your hotel experiences into luxury ones
Travel & LeisureHospitality
AI will turn all of your hotel experiences into luxury ones
By Catherina GioinoJune 1, 2026
5 hours ago
job
SuccessJobs
As loyal Boomers win and job-switching Gen Zers lose, the labor market of 2026 reveals a decade of bad career advice
By Nick LichtenbergJune 1, 2026
5 hours ago
New Fed study shows remote work, not AI, is driving higher unemployment in younger workers
Successunemployment
New Fed study shows remote work, not AI, is driving higher unemployment in younger workers
By The Associated Press and Christopher RugaberJune 1, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

I wrote that Boomers were choking America’s economy. Their responses to me were revealing
Personal Finance
I wrote that Boomers were choking America’s economy. Their responses to me were revealing
By Nick LichtenbergMay 31, 2026
1 day ago
A rare 'super' El Niño is looking more likely. Here’s what to expect
Environment
A rare 'super' El Niño is looking more likely. Here’s what to expect
By Brian K. Sullivan and BloombergMay 31, 2026
1 day ago
If Elon Musk merges SpaceX with Tesla he'll create a $3.4 trillion behemoth—with zero profits
Investing
If Elon Musk merges SpaceX with Tesla he'll create a $3.4 trillion behemoth—with zero profits
By Shawn TullyMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
9 hours ago
When loyalty is rewarded: Top earners who stay in their jobs get much larger pay increases than those who switch
Future of Work
When loyalty is rewarded: Top earners who stay in their jobs get much larger pay increases than those who switch
By Jacqueline MunisMay 30, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.