Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: December 2017 Report Edition

1.

The prime employment rate hit a new high for the recovery as it edged above 79 percent. Yet it still hasn’t hit levels seen more than 10 years ago.

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2.

The unemployment rate for black workers hit an all-time low in December at 6.8 percent. Racial inequities in the labor market are still large, but a tight labor maker is reducing some of them.

3.

Nominal wage growth in December once again remained stable. Seeing a clear acceleration in wage growth remains difficult in these data.

4.

The share of unemployed workers who lost a job rose in December, although the trend over the past year has been flat.

5.

Long-term unemployed workers are a smaller share of all the unemployed. If this trend continues, it may be a sign the unemployment rate can get even lower.