Unemployment Rate For Blacks: 13.4%, Black Men: 16.3%

The Los Angeles Times is reporting on the state of black unemployment. The numbers while startling, aren't surprising. Unemployment for blacks has always been higher than any other ethnic group. The fact that black male unemployment is 16.3% is an obvious cause of concern, in light of all of the other issues that plague the black male namely lack of education, little job training and high incarceration rates. The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, in January projected that black joblessness could hit a peak of 18.2% nationally by mid-2010, and head even higher for black males and teens. Dire prospects for a group that's already facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.