Who is hit hardest by unemployment?

One sad consequence of the global recession is rising unemployment. The figure in the US hit 8.6% of the workforce in September 2009 – with further rises anticipated. You may well have given thought both to why these increases are occurring and even how unemployment is measured. Here’s another query: which groups in America have been hardest hit?

A hat tip to my friend Ritika Gupta who spotted this New York Times interactive graph. It’s a very simple yet powerful illustration of which groups suffer the most. I am astonished by some social groups whose levels of unemployment are (literally) off the chart.