By James Breedlove
NDG Special Contributor
For as long as I can remember my parents, school teachers, and mentors admonished me to get an education so I could get a good job.
Despite modest gains made by minorities and women progress toward equal opportunity in the U.S. jobs market since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has been relatively slow and has plateaued and retreated since the 1980’s.
A recent report, published in the New York Times by Michael Luo, indicates that a good job may be hard to find even with a stellar resume and an excellent education from a prestigious school.
There is ample evidence that racial inequities remain when it comes to employment. Black joblessness has generally been higher than that for whites. But the confirming data showing that during the current recession the joblessness for Blacks with college degrees is worse than those without degrees is surprising. Is this an anomaly or verification that education does not level the job playing field?
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that while the national unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent it is 9.3 percent for whites and 15.6 percent for blacks (67 percent higher).
However, the unemployment rate for black male college graduates 25 and older is almost 100 percent higher than that of white male college graduates — 8.4 percent compared with 4.4 percent.
These percentages may raise eyebrows but they do not give a good perspective of how bad joblessness has become during this recession. The government’s data since 1939 shows only one time when there was a larger percentage decline in jobs. At the end of World War II a total of 4.3 million lost jobs because of war effort cutbacks. In no downturn since then did that many jobs vanish, until the current recession’s 5.6 million lost jobs.
Various academic studies have confirmed that blacks have a harder time finding jobs than whites.
The fact that race seems to be a constant obstacle in the job market for African-Americans, even those with degrees from Ivy League colleges, raises the question of systemic racism. Is it still the dominant factor in employment disparity?
Discrimination in hiring may not be as much deliberate as it is the natural application of nepotism, cronyism and favoritism. Nepotism, cronyism and favoritism? No, the words don’t describe a disease. But some social analysts have alleged the three ‘isms’ are an affliction embedded in the labor market.
A study in The Journal of Labor Economics entitled “Manager Race and the Race of New Hires” found that white, Asian and Hispanic managers tended to hire more whites and fewer blacks than black managers did.
Given the widespread use of informal hiring practices the distribution of information on job openings plays an essential role in the success or failure in the labor market. Information about many jobs, especially higher-level ones, passes through gendered and racialized “good ole boy” networks. This leaves blacks at a distinct disadvantage. The simple act of knowing about a job opportunity is an important initial factor in getting the job.
The problem is apparent even in the government’s stimulus programs. An article by Tory Pugh of McClatchy Newspapers addresses the issue of equity in implementing job stimulus via the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Various reports appear to confirm what minority activists and some economists have reported: that the intended benefits of the stimulus bill may not be reaching groups who are suffering the most in this recession.
Amid mounting criticism that minorities, women and low-income workers are missing out on jobs and business opportunities under the stimulus bill, the Obama administration is urging governors to work harder to ensure that these groups participate fully in stimulus projects that receive federal funding.
The Congressional Black Caucus has criticized President Barack Obama for not providing more direct assistance to African Americans during the recession.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood sent a letter this week to governors, urging them to do a better job of spreading the wealth in their transportation contracting efforts. “I believe it is vital that we work together to provide small disadvantaged businesses and female and minority workers a fair chance to participate in transportation projects,” LaHood wrote.
He called for state officials to break up large individual contracts into several pieces so that smaller women- and minority-owned companies can better compete for them. He also asked large contractors to consider joint ventures with minority and women-owned companies and to provide technical expertise to help these companies prosper and expand.
The Secretary wants states to set goals for awarding more transportation contracts to “disadvantaged business enterprises” and is offering lending and bonding assistance to help make it happen.
It is amazing how often when massive government programs are initiated to alleviate the misery of working class Americans the equity distribution safeguards are not even discussed until after the wealthy have been allowed ample opportunity to cultivate their Nepotism, Cronyism and Favoritism.
James W. Breedlove
Comments or opinions may be sent to the writer at: www.truthclinic.com
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