African-American unemployment rate falls to 17-year low

The unemployment rate for African-Americans fell to a 17-year low in September, and the rates for all other major racial and ethnic groups also dropped.

The jobless rate for people in their prime working years — defined as ages 25 through 54 — fell to 3.6 percent, the lowest level since June 2007, a few months before the Great Recession began. And for Americans with only a high school diploma, unemployment fell to a 10-year low of 4.3 percent.

All told, the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent in September, from 4.4 percent in August. Employers shed 33,000 jobs, a decline driven by the damage inflicted on Texas and Florida by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Economists expect hiring should rebound in the coming months.

The data for demographic groups came from a survey of households that is part of the Labor Department's monthly jobs report.