The Puzzle of Black Unemployment

The Public Interest ^ | Winter 2004 | Harry J. Holzer and Paul Offner

[shrinkermd]

This excellent article appeared in the winter issue of The Public Interest. Unfortunately, there is no URL. Below is a synopsis of Holzer and Offner’s effort to understand and remedy black male unemployment.

Low-income women have increasingly entered the workforce because of welfare reform, child-care subsidies and ever increasing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Low-income men have not done as well. Employment rates for white and Latino men remained flat and the rate for black men went down.

Presently, black males between the ages of 16 and 24 have an employment rate of 52%. This means black men in this range worked about two-thirds as much as a comparable cohort of white or Latino men. These findings do not include those who have given up looking for work or for those incarcerated in prison.

Compounding the problem is that real wages for unskilled young men either declined or stagnated. Part of this is a function of a disappearing pool of blue collar jobs. The only good news is that for blacks there is a gradual increase in test scores and educational attainment. Latinos remain employed at the same rate as whites even though Latinos on the average are less skilled.

Explaining these differences is not easy. Part of it may be segregation in the inner city. Part of it may be employers preferring immigrants. And part of it may be women supplanting men in some entry level jobs.

While there is undoubtedly some truth in all the explanations it appears there are two additional factors hindering black young men –the rising number of black ex-offenders and the strict enforcement of child support laws.

There are about two million individuals in prison. Each year 700,000 are released. About 7% of all men and 22% of all black men have been in prison. Most ex-offenders (80%) are high school dropouts and are functionally illiterate. These individuals also have virtually no work experience and have few social ties except to street gangs. Compounding the problems is the existence of studies documenting white ex-offenders are preferentially hired over black ex-offenders.

About one-fourth of black men between the ages of 16 and 24 are non-custodial fathers. Most states have strict laws regarding child support resulting in Draconian legal efforts at recovery and punishment. Non-payment can result in jail time, loss of one’s driver’s license and so forth. Commonly up to 65% of a man’s wages are garnished for child support. The result of these punitive efforts is to further discourage entry level employment.

Holzer and Offner propose some solutions for the above problems. First, men who are unemployed or in prison should not accrue child support: a few states are beginning to address this. Second, we need to provide both work experience and job training as we have done for welfare mothers. Third, we need better programs and follow-up for men leaving prison. In prison schooling and work (with real wages and real employers) would be a beginning. Fourth, and most importantly, we need to increase the incentives to entry level and minimum wage work by increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Presently, the EITC for a childless person is $350. Fifth, our high schools should have the option of apprentice-like programs in conjunction with private industry cooperation and support.

These remedies will not be cheap, but the cost of doing nothing results in unnecessary crime, incarceration and child poverty. The authors suggest small, trials of these proposals before any over-reaching effort.

[shrinkermd]

The Public Interest is a marvelous magazine of modest cost. Good writing is the rule rather than the exception and people who write actually have something to say. It is unfortunate this article is not posted with a URL --IMHO it should be widely available.

The authors made a good case for their remedies but forgot to mention Mathew 25:31-46.

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[U S Army EOD]

I guess they finally figure out that a jazzed up automobile equipped with a loud boom box is not the height of success.

[RKV]

Eliminate the minimum wage. Not all workers are productive enough to justify paying them that much. Minimum wage is a barrier to entry to unskilled workers. Public payments (welfare) or refundable tax credits (EITC) are immoral as they are nothing else than theft from the producers. Majority approval of theft still does not change the fact that a theft has occurred. And don't call resisting tax theft to be greed. It is the greed of the unproductive and their willingness to sell their votes for money which are the problems.

[singlemomofone]

...First, men who are unemployed or in prison should not accrue child support..."
Let me get this straight:
Tell those who refuse to help financially support the children they apparently had no qualms in jointly creating, that if they promise not to be responsible and get a job and earn an honest living, they won't have to pay child support. Better yet...make sure they know that if they commit a crime, we'll not only waive their child support obligations, we'll also provide them with free shelter and 3 squares a day, along with cable. Yep...that's a hell of an incentive.

[Kenny Bunk]

Part of it may be employers preferring immigrants

Well Duh?

Have any of these learned thinker-wonks talked to a California employer lately? This illegal alien stuff is hurting the African-Americans more than any other segment of our citizenry. Maybe the Democrats who claim to be their friends will help? Ya think?

[JLAGRAYFOX]

This article hits on some good points. "Latino males less educated than Black males have a higher employment rate!" Using this one point, one must assume that Latino males have a different cultural and work ethic environment than Blacks. The Black problem starts with the disfunctional, fatherless family unit and lack of decent public education, which is why so many Black males end up in jails or prison. Blacks have been held in economic slavery by their political allegiance to the Democrat Party. In a nutshell, until Blacks become politically diversified, they will remain at the bottom of the totem pole on all accounts. The crumbs of government and public service jobs are not going to cut the mustard. Until they become effectively assimilated into the general, free enterprise society, they will remain at the short end of the stick. Latinos, on the other hand, have learned this lesson very early and easily. They have just simply leap frogged over Blacks, who stay chained to a political party that does not work for their best interests. Case in point! How many meaningful jobs has Bill Clinton, "the first Black President" brought to Harlem, New York? Answer: None! End of story!

[JLAGRAYFOX]

This article hits on some good points. "Latino males less educated than Black males have a higher employment rate!" Using this one point, one must assume that Latino males have a different cultural and work ethic environment than Blacks. The Black problem starts with the disfunctional, fatherless family unit and lack of decent public education, which is why so many Black males end up in jails or prison. Blacks have been held in economic slavery by their political allegiance to the Democrat Party. In a nutshell, until Blacks become politically diversified, they will remain at the bottom of the totem pole on all accounts. The crumbs of government and public service jobs are not going to cut the mustard. Until they become effectively assimilated into the general, free enterprise society, they will remain at the short end of the stick. Latinos, on the other hand, have learned this lesson very early and easily. They have just simply leap frogged over Blacks, who stay chained to a political party that does not work for their best interests. Case in point! How many meaningful jobs has Bill Clinton, "the first Black President" brought to Harlem, New York? Answer: None! End of story!

[Taliesan]

These people achieve levels of stupidity only made possible by a Ph.D. This article IS the problem.

We are "trying to understand the puzzle" of black male unemployment? The problem is something other than the black male himself and their culture of irresponsibility?

A liberal is someone who watches his own wallet get lifted and immediately starts puzzling over what he did to force the poor sap to resort to theft.

[eleni121]

Among many excellent analyses of this issue let me add Star Parker's Uncle Sam's Plantation. From the blurb: America has two economic systems: capitalism for the rich and socialism for the poor. This double-minded approach seems to keep the poor enslaved to poverty while the rich get richer.

The billions that have been spent since the ill-conceived "Great Society" programs of the 60's have largely disappeared down the wormhole of Welfare and the bureacracy that feeds off it.

Until the Black American comunity emerges from its despair and actively joins the great liberation afforded by capitalism and opportunity they are doomed.

Personal note: Many of my immigrant students from Africa within a couple years of arriving here have purchased their homes and are finishing college degrees. Their "race" has nothing to do with their success.

[Elsie]

The authors made a good case for their remedies but forgot to mention Mathew 25:31-46.



I'll do it for you......



Matthew 25:31-46
31. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34. "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37. "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40. "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41. "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44. "They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45. "He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46. "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

[Elsie]

I think this probably MORE apt to the situation........



2 Thessalonians 3:7-11
7. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
8. nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
9. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
10. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ""If a man will not work, he shall not eat.''
11. We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

[radiohead]

Many of my immigrant students from Africa within a couple years of arriving here have purchased their homes and are finishing college degrees. Their "race" has nothing to do with their success.

This does seem to be the case. For years, my mother taught reading and comprehension to students in community college. Many of those students were immigrants from all over - China, various African countries, Guatemalans, Filipinos, etc. - improving their English before tackling other courses.

They were working, looking forward to what an associate's degree would do for them, and happy to be here with these opportunities. A few students were black female government workers, also looking to get ahead. Let's just say that the American black males were missing in action.

[GovernmentShrinker]

1) Women have babies. Men don't. No amount of PC mental gymnastics can overcome biological reality. Since women have babies, they are more interested in making money to support them.

2) Expecting 16 year old boys to pay child support for kids they don't even live with is beyond ridiculous. When adolescent boys who lack even minimal parental supervision are out screwing equally unsupervised adolescent girls, some ADULTS need to be held responsible when offspring result. Hanging a millstone around the boy's neck for the next 18 years is hardly a reasonable solution.

[Stopislamnow]

My black neighbors drive pimped out Lexus' and SUV's.

While they live in a decrepit house thats needed paint for years, with plastic for windows, and trash throughout thier yards.

While its stereotypical, and may be sounding racist, its true and I'll challenge anyone to come take a look.

One of the reasons I'm moving soon. Not because blacks are moving in, but because they are moving in and letting thier homes go to crap.

[U S Army EOD]

But on the other hand, you see the Z28, trampoline, four wheeler, pickup truck on blocks, TV dish, and bass boat at white homes in the same condition.

Sadly both statements ARE true.

[U S Army EOD]

Maybe if the black males fially figured out that they are the problem, they would develop the self pride to do something about it.

[Clemenza]

My black neighbors drive pimped out Lexus' and SUV's

Which they buy by going deep in to debt, much like my just-off-the-plane middle eastern neighbors. Its just a question of priorities would you rather flashy cars and a similar wardrobe or a neat, house that nobody will see you in?

Don't get me started on how Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and the FHA dole out loans to "first time home buyers" of ALL RACES like candy on Halloween. When the bills pile up and their is no way to pay for the houses, its either rent to the section 8'ers or abandonment.

[PattonReincarnated]

Geez, simple minds solve simple problems with complex solutions.

The solution is:
1.) Finish high school.
2.) Learn to correctly speak the American language.
3.) Don't get married until you are 24.
4.) Don't get pregnant until you are married.
5.) Don't break the law.

Everything else will fall in line.

[liberallarry]

Here's what my friends who employ lots of people tell me;

Latinos are generally hard workers and good workers...and they'll work cheap.
Whites and Asians are terrific if they want to work but, too often the former - especially blue collar - don't want to.
Blacks are lousy workers, thieves and trouble-makers, and unteachable. No one wants to hire them.

Racist stereotypes which unfairly hurt those who do not fit them? Certainly. But apparently very large numbers do fit.