Latinos, at 18 percent, now have the highest unemployment rate in the United States while the rate for the jobless in the whole country is at 14.7 percent, a number that's been unseen, based on the data the Bureau of Labor Statistics released, since the Great Depression.

The actual rate for unemployment for all workers of the US is possibly even higher since last week's release of data reflects circumstances only through the middle of April.

According to the League of United Latin American Citizens or LULAC CEO Sindy Benavides, the "devastating economic data" confirms that African and Hispanic American communities have been inexplicably affected during this COVID-19 crisis.

Benavides also added that "minority-owned small-businesses" have been excluded from the so-called Paycheck Protection Program loans, not to mention, unable to retain employees on the payroll.

Report from UnidosUS

Based on a report recently presented by UnidosUS, Latinos comprise 17.6 percent of the total workforce in the US. However, they consist of large sectors of the "so-called essential workers," which include 18.8 percent of the workers of transportation and utility; 20.5 percent of workers of grocery stores; 29 percent of medical assistants; 38.8 percent of workers from the food manufacturing companies; and 54 percent of workers from the agriculture sector.

In an interview, Texas Democrat and Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Joaquin Castro said, the official unemployment figures "are reminiscent of the Great Depression" and affirm what is seen in the communities.

He added lines of cars that appeared like a parking lot, "waiting at the local food bank." Relatively, both Benavides and Castro called on Congress to act on the issue to help the communities such as Latinos, among the most affected by the pandemic and ensuing financial crisis.

Castro added, there is a need for urgent action from the Congress "to keep more workers employed," as well as immediate financial aid for all Americans outside the "one-time stimulus package."

Jobless Latinos

Early this month, NBC News reported, that "Latinos suffered staggering job losses," not to mention, being the hardest hit or most affected by the economic crisis brought by the pandemic.

Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported that there was an increase in the unemployment rate to 18.9 percent for Latinos, amounting to a projection of over four million or almost one in every five unemployed Latinos. 

Essentially, the rate was higher than any other ethnic or racial group which the department surveyed. Unemployment rates increased to 16.7 percent, reportedly, for blacks, "14.2 percent for whites," and 14.5 percent for whites.

The figures which the bureau presented are said to be a cruel blow for the Latin Americans whose unemployment figures had kept trending descending since they hit around 13 percent in 2010 in the middle of the Great Recession.

Unemployment among Latinos in February was 4.4 percent, and the group, in recent years, had closed the gap with whites for unemployment within about one to two percent.

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