Jobless rate for Latino Americans fell to record low in June

The unemployment rate for Hispanic and Latino Americans in June fell to 4.6 percent, their lowest recorded level since 1973. A hot job market has helped pull them off the unemployment rolls and into work. The category comprises people who identify ethnically as Hispanic or Latino and can include all races.

At the same time, the jobless rates for black and Asian Americans rose after reaching record lows in May. The rate for white Americans was flat.

The average length of unemployment fell to 21.2 weeks last month, the shortest span since March 2009.

All told, employers added 213,000 jobs in June. The unemployment rate rose to 4 percent. But it climbed for an encouraging reason: More people came off the sidelines and began looking for a job, though not all of them immediately found one.

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