Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Situation Summary for November brought some welcome news of signs of an economic recovery. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.6%, a truly significant development and the second consecutive month that the figure has moved downward. It is the lowest unemployment rate in two and a half years. According to the BLS data, the economy added 120,000 jobs last month; the second consecutive month of significant job growth. Employment increased in the health care sector, retail trade, hospitality and leisure, and business and professional services. Government employment continued its downward trajectory; a troubling development for Black workers since public sector jobs has been a longtime source of employment for African-Americans.