In Case You Missed It: A Racial Divide in Unemployment in East St. Louis

Tonight on the NewsHour, Paul Solman traveled to East St. Louis, Illinois, to report on the racial disparity in unemployment. East St. Louis is a case study in African-American unemployment — 16 percent for men there, as it is nationwide — roughly double the rate for whites. Add in estimates of so-called discouraged workers and the underemployed, and black unemployment is about 30 percent, a number reminiscent of the Great Depression.

In a special online-only video, Paul speaks to Duke economist William Darity about ‘colorism’ in the labor market — why darker skinned black men face greater discrimination and lower wages in the labor market than lighter skinned black men.