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FACT BRIEF

Did the lowest unemployment rates on record for women, Blacks and Hispanics occur under President Donald Trump?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

The lowest unemployment for women and Blacks did not occur under President Donald Trump. The lowest-ever rate for Hispanics was reached under Trump and President Joe Biden.

Here are the lowest rates ever for each group; the lowest under Trump (January 2017-January 2021); and under Biden (January 2021-May 2024):

For women, the lowest rate (back to 1948) was 2.7% in May 1953.

Trump’s lowest was 3.4% (September, October 2019). Biden’s was 3.3% (January 2023).

For Blacks, the lowest-ever rate (starting in 1972) was 4.8% under Biden (April 2023). Trump’s lowest was 5.3.% (August 2019).

For Hispanics, the lowest-ever rate (starting in 1973) was 3.9%, under both Trump (September 2019) and Biden (September 2022).

An employment claim was made June 18, 2024, by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in a Milwaukee radio talk show interview. He said that under Trump, employment was the highest ever among women, Blacks and Hispanics.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Google Docs BLS unemployment statistics women, Blacks, Hispanics
FRED (Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis) Unemployment Rate - Women (Trump)
FRED (Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis) Unemployment Rate - Women (Biden)
FRED (Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis) Unemployment Rate - Black or African American (Trump)
FRED (Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis) Unemployment Rate - Hispanic or Latino (Trump)
FRED (Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis) Unemployment Rate - Hispanic or Latino (Biden)
IHeart Vicki McKenna Show - Handshake Agreement - The Vicki McKenna Show
FactCheck.org Tim Scott’s False and Misleading Claims About Unemployment
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.