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Educational attainment, employment, and unemployment among African Americans
February 25, 2015
In the early 1990s, more than half of employed African Americans age 25 and older had completed no more than a high school education. In 2014, more than three-fifths of employed African Americans had completed at least some college.
Percent distribution of employed African Americans age 25 and older, by educational attainment, 1992–2014 annual averages
Year
Less than a high school diploma
High School graduates, no college
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher
1992
17.3
38.9
26.8
17.1
1993
15.0
38.8
28.5
17.7
1994
14.2
37.1
29.9
18.8
1995
13.2
36.8
30.9
19.1
1996
13.3
36.4
31.3
19.0
1997
13.3
37.1
30.8
18.8
1998
12.8
36.5
30.8
19.8
1999
11.7
36.3
31.6
20.5
2000
11.7
35.6
31.7
21.1
2001
11.7
35.1
31.9
21.3
2002
11.8
35.0
31.9
21.3
2003
10.8
35.1
31.3
22.7
2004
10.3
35.9
30.5
23.2
2005
10.4
36.0
30.4
23.2
2006
10.3
34.8
30.8
24.2
2007
9.4
34.6
31.1
24.9
2008
9.0
34.2
32.0
24.8
2009
8.4
33.4
32.6
25.7
2010
8.4
32.3
33.2
26.0
2011
7.7
32.8
32.9
26.5
2012
7.4
32.1
32.8
27.7
2013
7.6
31.1
33.0
28.3
2014
7.5
30.8
33.2
28.5
In 2014, 29 percent of employed African Americans had completed at least a bachelor's degree, up from 17 percent in 1992. Another 33 percent in 2014 had completed some college or an associate degree, up from 27 percent in 1992. Among all employed people age 25 or older in 2014, 38 percent had completed at least a bachelor's degree; 28 percent had completed some college or an associate degree.
Unemployment rates of African Americans age 25 and older, by educational attainment, 1992–2014 annual averages
Year
Less than a high school diploma
High School graduates, no college
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher
1992
15.3
12.3
9.8
4.4
1993
15.4
10.8
8.7
3.8
1994
13.5
9.9
7.5
3.5
1995
12.4
8.2
6.7
3.2
1996
12.6
9.1
6.4
3.1
1997
13.1
8.1
5.6
3.6
1998
11.6
7.4
5.1
2.9
1999
11.6
6.3
4.4
2.7
2000
10.7
6.4
4.0
2.5
2001
11.8
7.4
5.0
2.7
2002
13.3
8.8
6.7
4.2
2003
13.9
9.3
7.9
4.5
2004
15.5
8.7
7.6
4.3
2005
14.4
8.5
6.9
3.5
2006
12.8
8.0
6.2
2.8
2007
12.0
7.3
5.5
3.0
2008
14.5
9.3
7.4
4.0
2009
21.3
14.0
11.5
7.3
2010
22.5
15.8
12.4
7.9
2011
24.6
15.5
13.1
7.1
2012
20.4
13.4
11.1
6.3
2013
20.5
12.6
9.8
5.7
2014
17.2
10.7
8.9
5.2
From 1992 to 2014, the unemployment rate for African Americans age 25 and older without a high school diploma ranged from about 11 percent to nearly 25 percent. Over the same period, African Americans with at least a bachelor's degree experienced unemployment rates that were sometimes lower than 3 percent and never higher than 8 percent.
Among all people age 25 and older, unemployment rates for those who did not complete high school ranged from 6 percent to nearly 15 percent over the 1992–2014 period. Rates for people with a bachelor's degree or more education were sometimes less than 2 percent and never over 5 percent. (These unemployment rates are averages for entire years.)
United States Department of Labor
