The New York Times consistently steps up the level of journalism in a digital age by publishing flash charts like this one.  It’s a fantastic, yet painfully transparent, visualization of how the recession affects varying demographics differently.

The unemployment rate for my demographic (white, male, college graduate, Age 25-44) is one of the lowest of all possible demographic combinations at 3.9%. What is particularly painful about this visual analysis is the effect race has on the statistics.  By contrast the unemployment rate for a black, male, college graduate, Age 25-44 is 8.3%, which is twice as high as its white equivalent.

Kudos to the NYTimes for a strikingly interesting and interactive piece of journalism.

(via HackerNews and great comment thread there)