Tag Archives: finance

African America’s January 2025 Jobs Report – 6.2%

OVERALL UNEMPLOYMENT: 4.0%

AFRICAN AMERICA: 6.2%

LATINO AMERICA: 4.8%

EUROPEAN AMERICA: 3.5%

ASIAN AMERICA: 3.7%

Analysis: European Americans unemployment rate pushes lower to 3.5 percent, its lowest rate in the past five months for the second month in a row. Asian Americans increased 20 basis points and Latino Americans decreased 30 basis points from December, respectively. African Americans unemployment rate increased 10 basis points from December. This is the second highest rate in the past five months.

AFRICAN AMERICAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY GENDER & AGE

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN: 6.9%

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: 5.4% 

AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGERS: 9.5%

AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPATION BY GENDER & AGE

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN: 69.0%

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: 62.5%

AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGERS: 25.3%

Analysis: African American Men saw an increase in their unemployment rate by 130 basis points and African American Women remain unchanged in January, respectively. African American Men increased their participation rate in January by 80 basis points bringing a halt to a four month decline. African American Women increased their participation rate in January by 10 basis points. African American Teenagers unemployment rate decreased by an unprecedented 1,070 basis points. African American Teenagers saw their participation rate decrease by 420 basis points in January, their lowest participation rate in the past five months.

African American Men-Women Job Gap: African American Women currently have 806,000 more jobs than African American Men in January. This is an increase from 757,000 in December.

CONCLUSION: The overall economy added 143,000 jobs in January while African America added 234,000 jobs. From Yahoo Finance, “Recent data has shown the labor market slowing but not rapidly deteriorating, as layoffs remain low. Economists have largely argued the recent string of labor market data fits the “broadly stable” labor market narrative Fed Chair Jerome Powell described in his most recent press conference on Jan. 29. “It’s a low-hiring environment,” Powell said. “So if you have a job, it’s all good. But if you have to find a job, the job-finding rate, the hiring rates have come down.”

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

HBCU Money™ Turns 13 Years Old

By William A. Foster, IV

Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me. – Sojourner Truth

HBCU Money is officially a teenager. Usually the teenage years are a rough and tumultuous time and it is hard to see that being any differently for us. The current social and political climates that we are about to experience over the next four years will test our patience and fortitude. It is vital that HBCU Money stays a voice of focus, strategy, and guidance in the African American institutional space as it relates to economics, finance, and investment.

It is inherent that we continue to strengthen and build our African American institutional ecosystem. It is also vital that that ecosystem build bridges of connection with the African Diaspora institutional ecosystem. We must throw off the shackles of isolationism and island mentality that plagues us so deeply. Before we make decisions we must ask ourselves is there an African American institution that exist that serves that need or want. If it is not there, then we must discuss building it. Where is the HBCU that has an African American MBA that teaches us how to build and run businesses from our interest? Where is the HBCU that has a law school focused on African American agriculture and real estate? Where is the African American bank focused on export-import for African American businesses? Are we using our talents to enhance ourselves individually or are we using our talents to enhance our institutions that enhance the collective? These are just a few of the vital things we are missing in our financial infrastructure.

There is not much that needs to be said, but plenty that needs to be done.

African America’s December 2024 Jobs Report – 6.1%

OVERALL UNEMPLOYMENT: 4.2%

AFRICAN AMERICA: 6.1%

LATINO AMERICA: 5.1%

EUROPEAN AMERICA: 3.6%

ASIAN AMERICA: 3.5%

Analysis: European Americans unemployment rate pushes lower to 3.6 percent, its lowest rate in the past five months. Asian Americans decreased 30 basis points (lowest among all groups) and Latino Americans decreased 20 basis points from November, respectively. African Americans unemployment rate decreased 30 basis points from November. Over the past five months this is African America’s median unemployment rate.

AFRICAN AMERICAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY GENDER & AGE

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN: 5.6%

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: 5.4% 

AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGERS: 20.2%

AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPATION BY GENDER & AGE

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN: 68.2%

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: 62.4%

AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGERS: 29.5%

Analysis: African American Men saw a decrease in their unemployment rate by 40 basis points and African American Women decreased by 50 basis points. African American Men decreased their participation rate in December by 50 basis points, a fourth month decline. African American Women increased their participation rate in December by 10 basis points. African American Teenagers unemployment rate increased by 210 basis points. African American Teenagers saw their participation rate increase by 170 basis points in December, their highest participation rate in the past five months after their lowest in five months last month.

African American Men-Women Job Gap: African American Women currently have 757,000 more jobs than African American Men in December. This is an increase from 640,000 in November.

CONCLUSION: The overall economy added 256,000 jobs in December while African America added 84,000 jobs. From CNN, “The selloff comes as the economy added 256,000 jobs in December, far outpacing expectations of around 153,000 jobs. While strong job growth signals a healthy economy, it raises the question of how soon the central bank needs to cut interest rates again. Additionally, President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariff policies, including reports of declaring a national economic emergency to impose widespread tariffs, has spooked investors, sending bond yields surging.”

HBCU Money’s 2023 African American Owned Bank Directory

All banks are listed by state. In order to be listed in our directory the bank must have at least 51 percent African American ownership. You can click on the bank name to go directly to their website.

OTHER KEY FINDINGS:

  • 11 of the 17 African American Owned Banks saw increases in assets from 2022.
  • African American Owned Banks (AAOBs) are in 16 states and territories. Key states absent are Maryland, Missouri, New York, and Virginia.
  • Adelphi Bank (OH) is the first African American Owned Bank (AAOB) started in 23 years.
  • Alabama and Georgia each have two AAOBs.
  • African American Owned Banks have approximately $5.8 billion of America’s $23.2 trillion bank assets (see above) or 0.02 percent. The apex of African American owned bank assets was in 1926 when AAOBs held 0.2 percent of America’s bank assets or 10 times the percentage they hold today.
  • African American Owned Banks control 1.7 percent of FDIC designated Minority-Owned Bank Assets.
  • 2023 Median AAOBs Assets: $168,701,000 ($150,072,000)
  • 2023 Average AAOBs Assets: $326,097,000 ($325,391,000)
  • TOTAL AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED BANK ASSETS 2023: $5,867,738,000 ($5,531,655,000)

ALABAMA

ALAMERICA BANK

Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Founded: January 28, 2000

FDIC Region: Atlanta

Assets: $17,282,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 9.5%

COMMONWEALTH NATIONAL BANK

Location: Mobile, Alabama

Founded: February 19, 1976

FDIC Region: Atlanta

Assets: $66,944,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 9.2%

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

INDUSTRIAL BANK

Location: Washington, DC

Founded: August 18, 1934

FDIC Region: New York

Assets: $739,181,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 2.2%

GEORGIA

CARVER STATE BANK

Location: Savannah, Georgia

Founded: January 1, 1927

FDIC Region: Atlanta

Assets: $81,906,000

Asset Change (2022): DOWN 2.5%

CITIZENS TRUST BANK

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Founded: June 18, 1921

FDIC Region: Atlanta

Assets: $741,413,000

Asset Change (2022): DOWN 8.1%

ILLINOIS

GN BANK

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Founded: January 01, 1934

FDIC Region: Chicago

Assets: $63,898,000

Asset Change (2022): DOWN 11.1%

LOUISIANA

LIBERTY BANK & TRUST COMPANY

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Founded: November 16, 1972

FDIC Region: Dallas

Assets: $1,048,899,000

Asset Change (2022): DOWN 3.4%

MASSACHUSETTS

ONEUNITED BANK

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Founded: August 02, 1982

FDIC Region: New York

Assets: $755,706,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 1.6%

MICHIGAN

FIRST INDEPENDENCE BANK

Location: Detroit, Michigan

Founded: May 14, 1970

FDIC Region: Chicago

Assets: $607,167,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 29.6%

MISSISSIPPI

GRAND BANK FOR SAVINGS, FSB

Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Founded: January 1, 1968

FDIC Region: Dallas

Assets: $161,125,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 38.9%

NORTH CAROLINA

MECHANICS & FARMERS BANK

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Founded: March 01, 1908

FDIC Region: Atlanta

Assets: $429,605,000

Asset Change (2022): UNCHANGED 

OHIO

ADELPHI BANK

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Founded: January 18, 2023

FDIC Region: Chicago

Assets: $43,945,000

Asset Change (2022): N/A

OKLAHOMA

FIRST SECURITY BANK & TRUST

Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Founded: April 06, 1951

FDIC Region: Dallas

Assets: $119,349,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 50.9%

PENNSYLVANIA

UNITED BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded: March 23, 1992

FDIC Region: New York

Assets: $55,719,000

Asset Change (2022): DOWN 6.2%

SOUTH CAROLINA

OPTUS BANK

Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Founded: March 26, 1999

FDIC Region: Atlanta

Assets: $524,934,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 29.5%

TENNESSEE

CITIZENS SAVINGS B&T COMPANY

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Founded: January 4, 1904

FDIC Region: Dallas

Assets: $176,277,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 17.5%

TEXAS

UNITY NB OF HOUSTON

Location: Houston, Texas

Founded: August 01, 1985

FDIC Region: Dallas

Assets: $209,014,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 1.3%

WISCONSIN

COLUMBIA SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION 

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Founded: January 1, 1924

FDIC Region: Chicago

Assets: $27,374,000

Asset Change (2022): UP 11.6%

SOURCE: FDIC

HBCU Money™ Turns 11 Years Old

By William A. Foster, IV

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” – Marcus Aurelius

As we embark on our 11th year here at HBCU Money, we are not slowing down with the work we have before us. Our desire to continue to be a strong monetary and fiscal voice for the HBCU community is ever present. Covering the HBCUpreneurs who are growing amazing businesses, the business schools who are shaping tomorrow’s African American private sector leadership, HBCU economists who become the first to ever sit on the Federal Reserve board, and so much more. Our community has a voice and stories that need to be told, discussions that need to be broaden, and the hard questions that need to be asked. We have been there for it all and will continue to be there for years to come.

Thank you to everyone who has been there since the beginning and who has come to rely and trust that quality will always come first. In this day where sensationalism seems to be ruling over substance, HBCU Money and sibling blogs will continue to stand firm that there are those who desire and want to have their intelligence valued. That thinking beyond the headlines has not become a lost art.

Holding true to the saying, it is a marathon and not a sprint.