This Week in ESG and Impact Investing

Black Enterprise ’s recent article, “Pivotal Moves to Help Black Women Rebound Stronger From Massive Job Cuts,” offers a timely and necessary look at the accelerating employment crisis facing Black women—and, importantly, what can be done about it. The article grounds its analysis in hard data, noting the sharp rise in unemployment among Black women in 2025 and the concentration of job losses in sectors where Black women are disproportionately represented. It moves beyond surface-level advice by emphasizing financial triage, skills realignment, entrepreneurship, and long-term resilience as core strategies for recovery. Creative Investment Research was cited in the piece for our analysis showing that this surge in unemployment is not the result of labor-force exits , but of actual job losses and weak hiring , particularly in education, professional services, healthcare, and public-sector roles. That distinction matters—because it points directly to policy failures and sector-specific ...

Some economists argue that working-class Americans who vote for billionaire politicians are driven primarily by shame, status anxiety, and a desire to burn the system down . Of course, the psychology matters—but we examine, below, the fundamental  economic realities that created these conditions in the first place. When we put the economic narrative side-by-side with the data, a more precise conclusion emerges: status resentment is not the cause—it is the symptom . The cause is a long-running economic and policy failure that we predicted   in 1995  and that has never been structurally repaired. This post looks at three core indicators— income, manufacturing employment, and union membership —to show why appeals to dignity resonate, and why toxic and incompetent billionaire “outsiders” can exploit that resonance. 1. Income: The Promise Was Deliberately Broken, Not Forgotten For decades, white working-class Americans were told that productivity gains and economic growt...

The October 2024 unemployment data by race and ethnicity shows a stable picture when analyzed for seasonal adjustments and overall trends: 1. White Unemployment Rate: The rate remains consistent at 3.8% for both September and October 2024. This steadiness over recent months indicates stability in employment rates for this group, with fluctuations typically within a small range throughout the year. 2. Black Unemployment Rate: The October rate holds at 5.7%, consistent with September, reflecting a plateau but still higher relative to other groups. Black unemployment continues to be elevated, a persistent trend reflecting structural racism, including disparities in job accessibility and stability. 3. Asian Unemployment Rate: For October, the rate sits at 3.9%, reflecting volatility compared to earlier months. The relatively low but fluctuating rate may indicate vulnerabilities in specific sectors of employment that disproportionately impact this demographic. 4. Hispanic or Latino Unemploy...

September, 2024 Unemployment: Key Findings White unemployment stands at 3.6% , relatively stable compared to earlier months. Black unemployment  at 5.7% , a significant decrease from its peak of 6.4% in March 2024. Asian unemployment remains low at 4.1% , showing little fluctuation. Hispanic or Latino unemployment  at 5.1% , consistent with previous months. Analysis: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 254,000 in September, and the unemployment rate fell from 4.2 to 4.1 percent. The higher unemployment rates among Black individuals continue to signify systemic employment challenges. Asian individuals have maintained a lower unemployment rate, while Hispanic or Latino populations also face notable but slightly elevated rates compared to Asians. While the decline in Black unemployment suggests some improvement, it remains significantly higher than other groups. Conclusion: The September, 2024 unemployment data highlights ongoing disparities in employment across raci...

The graphic above shows unemployment rates across different racial and ethnic groups from April 2023 to June 2024. The picture reviews unemployment rates for White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino populations. The data indicates fluctuations in unemployment rates between and among these groups, with disparities that warrant further examination. Trends and Observations 1. White Population: The unemployment rate for Whites has shown minor fluctuations, generally staying between 3.10% and 3.50%. The lowest recorded rate was in April 2023 (3.10%), and the highest was observed in October and December 2023, and June 2024 (3.50%). This demographic shows the least variation in unemployment rates compared to others. 2. Black Population: Blacks traditionally experience the highest volatility in unemployment rates, with a 0.2% increase in June 2024.  The rate increased from 4.80% in April 2023 to a peak of 6.40% in March 2024, before decreasing to 5.6% in April 2024. From April to June 2...

The current economic landscape is showing remarkable stability and growth. Key indicators like interest rates, inflation, and unemployment reveal a robust economy that directly impacts individuals and businesses positively. Interest Rates The Federal funds rate has stabilized at 5.25%-5.50%, with a forecasted reduction to 4.75%-5.00% by the end of the year as inflation and economic activity ease. Lower interest rates mean cheaper borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, enabling more investments, expansions, and purchases that drive economic growth and job creation. Personal Impact: Sarah, a small business owner in Dallas, was able to secure a low-interest loan to expand her bakery. With the additional funds, she hired three more employees, boosting the Dallas economy and providing jobs to her community. Inflation The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 3.4% before seasonal adjustment for April. Given the massive economic challenges of recent years, maintaining such a moderate...

AT almost that three times the level reported in December, 2019, Friday's Black unemployment rate number is surprising and unfortunate, no matter what partisan policymakers and economists say. Remember, our expectation (and hope) was that fiscal and monetary policy actions would limit the initial damage. The Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs certainly helped keep May's unemployment rate below 20%, but the numbers show that more focused fiscal and monetary policy actions, coordinated on a global level, are needed. In our comment on the Economic and Social Costs of "Reopening" America, we estimated that U.S. small businesses would need $6 trillion on an annual basis to ensure their survival through the coronavirus crisis. This was confirmed by the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. (See: https://twisri.blogspot.com/2020/04/economic-and-social-costs-of-reopening.html ). Unfortunately the unemployment numbers sho...

The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting statement on March 21, indicated that the Committee voted for a quarter-point increase in federal fund rate. (See:  http://twisri.blogspot.com/2018/03/probability-of-fed-rate-hike-in-march.html ) The Fed seemed to signal, by this rate hike, that a more robust  economic outlook, strengthened, at least in part, due to fiscal policy (tax bill), provides a solid base on which to tighten (increase interest rates) monetary policy more aggressively in the future. The FOMC also sought to cling to a strategy in 2018 , according to the statement , that “ supports strong labor market conditions and a sustained return to 2% inflation .” Top  FOMC  considerations : Inflation targets and the labor market This cautious stance diverged from market expectation in a surprising way: the market seemed to expect more . The accommodative monetary policy ...