At issue is the larger question of black unemployment, which in many urban areas is about twice the rate of whites.

With all this, 1988 growth is estimated at 2.7 percent, which may be too low to keep black unemployment from rising above its already high level.

Average black unemployment in Massachusetts last year was 6 percent, less than the national rate (6.2 percent), whites included.

In fact, although the differences between black and white unemployment are much reduced in these areas, they do not disappear entirely.

One of the best ways to cut black unemployment is to build up black businesses, and we were doing that, making real progress.

Even the disparity in black unemployment is much less.

"You can see the gap narrowing" with whites, she said of black unemployment.

Just last fall, black unemployment had fallen to a record low of 7.2 percent.

If the census stopped asking about race, we could not compare black and white unemployment, life expectancy or family wealth.

By 1990, black unemployment had fallen to 11.3 percent.