Bucking the nationwide trend, the unemployment rate for Latinos rose in June to 7.8 percent, according to the monthly employment report released by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)."The slight increase in Latino unemployment appears to be due to more Latinos coming off the sidelines of the labor market and actively searching for work," said the report. Other figures from the Labor Department’s June report back that assertion. The labor force participation rate, a measure of the share of working age Americans that has or is looking for a job, was 66.3 percent for Latinos. The rate for all Americans was lower at 62.8 percent.

Still, the council’s report pointed to other issues facing working-age Hispanics. Unemployment rates for people between the ages of 16 and 19 remain very high – especially for Latinos. Additionally, 41.9 percent of young Latinos with only a high school degree are underemployed – compared to 36.8 percent of whites. NCLR called for greater work opportunities for young Latinos, particularly men, as it helps them avoid structural barriers to employment later in life.

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--Jacob Passy