Family unemployment down in 2012

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released national data on unemployment within families today. In 2012, the percentage of families with at least one unemployed member was 10.5 percent, down from 11.5 percent one year prior. 80 percent of families had at least one employed member.

As with other employment statistics, unemployment was higher among Black and Hispanic families, at 16.8 percent and 14.5 percent with at least one unemployed member, respectively.

Female headed households also fared worse, with just 72.4 percent having at least one employed member. Married couples fared better at 81.9 percent; and both the husband and wife were employed in 47.4 percent of married-couple families in 2012. Both parents worked in 59 percent of married-couple families with children, likely reflecting the high cost of child care.