EAST ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) — Reverend Al Sharpton is calling out the high unemployment rate for Black New Yorkers.
Sharpton plans to demand more contracts for minority-owned businesses at a news conference Thursday in East Elmhurst, Queens, one of the hardest hit areas by the pandemic.
The city’s Black unemployment rate is currently 9.4%, that’s more than five points higher than white unemployment.
A report last year from the New School Center for NYC Affairs sounded the alarm on the growing disparity. The report said for the first time this century the gap between Black and white unemployment rates in New York City is widening.
Mayor Eric Adams has recently been promoting a record $6 billion in contracts granted to minority and women-owned businesses.
He is scheduled to make an equity and economic development announcement Thursday morning at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
ALSO READ | Man accused of squatting in Queens home faces judge, promises ‘revelation’ in case
7 On Your Side Investigative reporter Dan Krauth has the story.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.