Young black men hit hardest by unemployment rise

Young black men have experienced the sharpest rise in unemployment since the coalition came to power, with more than one in four of all black 16-24-year-olds currently out of work, according to a TUC report on youth unemployment.

The report also finds that white and Asian youngsters are now twice as likely to be unemployed as those from the same ethnic group over the age of 24.

Young black men are more likely to be unemployed than any other ethnic group, with 26% currently out of work. Young black women are the next most likely to be out of work (17%), followed by white and Asian men (both 16%).

The analysis shows that men are more likely to be unemployed than women amongst all ethnic groups, though the gender divide is starkest among white and black youngsters.

The proportion of young people who are not in work or education has been more stable, with worklessness rates for black and Asian youngsters actually falling between 2002 and 2010, most likely because high numbers of young people from these groups entered further and higher education, says the TUC.