Unemployment Inequalities Among New York City Residents Throughout the mid-1990s New York City's unemployment rate has been stuck at recession period levels. And only six out of ten of working age New Yorkers has a job. These citywide averages mask wide disparities between subgroups in the city s population. New York City s Labor Market finds that the burden of joblessness is not equally shared. Unemployment is not color blind.
Unemployment rates are higher for younger than older members of the labor force.
While a third of teenagers were unemployed, the unemployment rate for workers 55 through 64 years of age was 6.5 percent. New Yorkers with less than a high school degree suffered double-digit unemployment rates in 1997. More than 70 percent of New Yorkers between 35 and 54 years of age are working. But less than one in five teens has a job and only half of the city s residents 55 through 64 years old is employed. Disparities Between New York City and All Central City Residents New York City s Labor Market places the conditions of New York City residents in the context of the national urban job market.