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Rising educational attainment among Blacks or African Americans in the labor force, 1992 to 2018
February 13, 2019
In 1992, 42 percent of Blacks or African Americans age 25 and older in the labor force had completed at least some college (that is, some college, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree and higher). By 2018, 63 percent of Blacks in the labor force had completed at least some college.
Percent of Blacks or African Americans in the labor force age 25 and older by educational attainment, 1992–2018 annual averages
Year
Total
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher
1992
100.0%
18.2%
39.5%
26.4%
15.9%
1993
100.0
16.0
39.2
28.2
16.6
1994
100.0
15.0
37.6
29.6
17.8
1995
100.0
13.9
37.1
30.7
18.3
1996
100.0
14.1
37.0
30.9
18.1
1997
100.0
14.2
37.4
30.3
18.1
1998
100.0
13.6
36.9
30.4
19.1
1999
100.0
12.4
36.5
31.2
19.9
2000
100.0
12.4
36.0
31.2
20.5
2001
100.0
12.4
35.5
31.5
20.5
2002
100.0
12.5
35.4
31.5
20.5
2003
100.0
11.5
35.5
31.2
21.8
2004
100.0
11.2
36.2
30.3
22.3
2005
100.0
11.2
36.4
30.2
22.2
2006
100.0
11.0
35.2
30.6
23.2
2007
100.0
10.0
35.0
30.9
24.0
2008
100.0
9.6
34.7
31.8
23.8
2009
100.0
9.3
34.0
32.4
24.3
2010
100.0
9.4
33.3
32.8
24.5
2011
100.0
8.9
33.6
32.8
24.7
2012
100.0
8.3
32.8
32.7
26.2
2013
100.0
8.6
31.8
32.8
26.9
2014
100.0
8.2
31.3
33.1
27.3
2015
100.0
7.5
30.9
33.3
28.3
2016
100.0
7.5
31.1
32.6
28.8
2017
100.0
6.9
31.0
32.5
29.6
2018
100.0
6.4
30.6
31.8
31.2
In 2018, 31 percent of Blacks in the labor force had earned a bachelor’s degree and higher, compared with 16 percent in 1992. Another 32 percent of Blacks in the labor force had completed some college or an associate degree in 2018. Just 6 percent of Blacks age 25 and older in the labor force had less than a high school diploma in 2018, down from 18 percent in 1992.
In 2018, the unemployment rate for Blacks age 25 and older with less than a high school diploma was 10.4 percent. That was about three and a half times the rate for Blacks with a bachelor’s degree and higher (2.9 percent).
Unemployment rates of Blacks or African Americans age 25 and older by educational attainment, 1992–2018 annual averages
Year
Total
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher
1992
10.9%
15.3%
12.3%
9.8%
4.4%
1993
9.8
15.4
10.8
8.7
3.8
1994
8.6
13.5
9.9
7.5
3.5
1995
7.4
12.4
8.2
6.7
3.2
1996
7.7
12.6
9.1
6.4
3.1
1997
7.3
13.1
8.1
5.6
3.6
1998
6.4
11.6
7.4
5.1
2.9
1999
5.7
11.6
6.3
4.4
2.7
2000
5.4
10.7
6.4
4.0
2.5
2001
6.2
11.8
7.4
5.0
2.7
2002
7.7
13.3
8.8
6.7
4.2
2003
8.3
13.9
9.3
7.9
4.5
2004
8.1
15.5
8.7
7.6
4.3
2005
7.5
14.4
8.5
6.9
3.5
2006
6.8
12.8
8.0
6.2
2.8
2007
6.2
12.0
7.3
5.5
3.0
2008
7.9
14.5
9.3
7.4
4.0
2009
12.3
21.3
14.0
11.5
7.3
2010
13.4
22.5
15.8
12.4
7.9
2011
13.4
24.6
15.5
13.1
7.1
2012
11.4
20.4
13.4
11.1
6.3
2013
10.5
20.5
12.6
9.8
5.7
2014
9.1
17.2
10.7
8.9
5.2
2015
7.8
15.9
9.7
7.4
4.0
2016
6.8
14.1
8.6
6.1
3.7
2017
6.2
12.5
7.8
5.8
3.6
2018
5.3
10.4
6.7
5.2
2.9
The unemployment rate for Black high school graduates (no college) was 6.7 percent in 2018. The rate for Blacks with some college or an associate degree was 5.2 percent.
United States Department of Labor
