Black Joblessness Shows Fed Must Look at Inequality

Protests all across America following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, have put yet another spotlight on the deep inequality between black and white America. That disparity was also laid bare in last week’s jobs data, when a surprise drop in overall unemployment masked the fact that black joblessness has climbed to its highest level in more than a decade.

Host Stephanie Flanders talks with economy reporter Matthew Boesler about what these inequities mean for policy setting at the Federal Reserve, and Jason Furman, a former economic advisor to President Barack Obama, gives his thoughts about what lies ahead for U.S. employment after Covid-19.

Flanders also speaks with Bloomberg Economist Boingotlo Gasealahwe about the challenges facing African nations as they seek to fund post-pandemic recoveries. Without the backstop of cheap finance, they risk a protracted slump that could curtail development for decades.

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