The U.S. is currently enjoying some of the lowest unemployment rates in recent history.
As of October 2018, unemployment was at 3.7 percent, a 50-year record low, down from 10 percent in late 2009, the aftermath of the recession.
But, Bushwick residents appear to be experiencing the exact opposite.
According to data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, between 2012 and 2016, Bushwick’s unemployment rate was 8.8 percent, meaning that around one out of every 12 residents over the age of 16 was unemployed. Between 2008 and 2011, Bushwick’s unemployment rate was at 7.1 percent, showing that a greater share of Bushwick residents are unemployed now than in the years after the recession.
The trend of rising unemployment in Bushwick contradicts what’s happening in the rest of the city. The unemployment rate in New York City between 2008 and 2011 was 6.9 percent, but has since dropped to 5.5 percent. Similarly, in Brooklyn, the unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in the aftermath of the recession, but has since bounced back to 5.7 percent.
Bushwick is only one of three community districts to experience an increase in unemployment since the post-recession years. The other two are community district 11 in the Bronx, encompassing Pelham Parkway, Morris Park and Laconia, and community district 9 in the Bronx, encompassing Castle Hill, Clason Point and Parkchester.
Unfortunately, with limited data, it’s difficult to pin point exactly why Bushwick has experienced this rise in unemployment. But, it is clear that Bushwick residents are facing employment challenges. The neighborhood currently has the third highest unemployment rate of any community district in the city.
So that’s your fast fact of the week, Bushwick! Have a question about the neighborhood that you want us to try and answer using data? Leave a comment below!
Cover image courtesy of Bench Accounting