The coronavirus has set America’s Black labor force back more than 40 years. 

Since the mid-1970s, the share of African Americans working or actively looking for a job has consistently stayed above 60%. But back in April, when the world was still gauging the early economic fallout of Covid-19, the Black labor force participation rate plunged to 58.6%, the lowest level since 1974. Though it has since come off those depths, the rate remains below 60%.