Nearly Half of NYC Black Men Jobless

Nearly Half of NYC Black Men Jobless
By Janny Scott
The New York Times

Saturday 28 February 2004

It is well known that the unemployment rate in New York City rose sharply during the recent recession. It is also understood that the increase was worse for men than for women, and especially bad for black men. But a new study examining trends in joblessness in the city since 2000 suggests that by 2003, nearly one of every two black men between 16 and 64 was not working.

The study, by the Community Service Society, a nonprofit group that serves the poor, is based on data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and focuses on the so-called employment-population ratio - the fraction of the working-age population with a paid job - in addition to the more familiar unemployment rate, the percentage of the labor force actively looking for work.

Mark Levitan, the report's author, found that just 51.8 percent of black men ages 16 to 64 held jobs in New York City in 2003. The rate for white men was 75.7 percent; for Hispanic men, 65.7; and for black women, 57.1. The employment-population ratio for black men was the lowest for the period Mr. Levitan has studied, which goes back to 1979.

"We're left with a very big question,'' Mr. Levitan, a senior policy analyst with the society, said in an interview. "As the economy recovers, will we see a rise in employment among black men in tandem with the rise in employment of city residents generally? In other words, is this fundamentally a cyclical problem or is it more deeply structural? I fear that it is more deeply structural."

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but I look in the paper everyday and see 100's upon 100's of classified "help wanted ads". I lost my job in April of 2000. I found another job in May of 2000. I lost that job in Sept of 2001. I found another job in November of 2001 and am still employed by this company. It is not the job I was "trained" or educated for and it paid considerably less in the beginning. I am now earning more than I was before I lost my first job.

It seems to me during bad times ( and they are for many) you have to be a little flexible with your 'wants" and "needs" when it comes to employment. I guess I get a little tired of the constant "bitching". I also understand that my circumstances may be totally different that someone else's. In my case, I would attempt to create my own job before I would remain unemployed for a long period of time waiting on the perfect job.

I have been laid off THREE TIMES. I work in high-tech sales. I know people who work for Wall Street firms that have been unemployed since late 2001. I know many other salespeople who have been laid off several times also.

I guess if you're working a low-wage, no-prestige job then you can always find another. The white-collar, good-paying jobs are being sent overseas, or eliminated altogether.

You're right, it is my experience. It is all I have to go on. My "field" was mechanical engineering working with hydraulics, pump curves, flow rates and system analysis. Today, I am work for a turbine manufacturing company that develops generators, pumps and fuel cells but I'm in sales. It's not a "low-wage, no-prestige job". It isn't what I prefer to do though.

Perhaps I have never thought of the "prestige" of my job. My father drove a truck hauling coal. He decided he could have 2 trucks....then he had 20 trucks etc... My father had a 9th grade education. He had more "prestige" than any man I knew or have known and it didn't come from his job.

My point is despite all that is wrong and all that we hate about what is going on in DC and the jerks who try to control us, we can make a difference for ourselves. By doing that, we make a difference for others.

I come from a blue-collar family. They are laying off firefighters and police all over the country. Fire stations are closing. North Carolina has lost 20,000 manufacturing jobs since last year. And the administration announced that January '04 was the worst month for layoffs in a decade.

I understand you've been lucky to choose a more stable field, but layoffs and joblessness are hitting all segments of society. This is the worst 'jobless recovery' since the Great Depression.

If there are almost 1 million unemployed black men in NYC alone, and the NY Times classified section has 1000 job listings, that means that even if every one of those jobs gets filled this week there are still almost a million people without jobs.

Assume that there are other sources of jobs. Does that mean that there are 1 million of them? And does that mean that those available jobs will be the right fit for all of those unemployed people?

And, if you can somehow make 1 million jobs materialize will employers hire those 1 million black men? There's this little thing called pervasive racism.

Even if you are a black man (I don't know anything about you so it's possible) and don't experience that racism, that doesn't mean that nobody else does.

For a whole lot of reasons, just because you found a job doesn't mean that everyone can or will.

Do I have that right? You're saying that there are plenty of jobs out there, and that they're easy to get.

So then the only logical conclusion to draw, given 50% black male unemployment, is that they don't want to work.

Or do you have another, nonracist explanation?

With the exception of "good blacks" like Condominium, Clarence "Long Dong Silver" Thomas, and Colon--- the rest of the black race is lazy indolent and worthless. And the poster is just following his lead.

I don't get it. It's so damn counter-productive. Racists suck....but they don't keep you from living or being better.

nt

You tell people they should lower their job standards, yet it clearly states,

"Black men are usually the least skilled. In a tough economy, those are the jobs that you can do away with.''"

So its the least skilled jobs that are also going away.

I don;t know........I'm suspect of anyone who has been unemployed for over 12 months......just my opinion.

that makes you more marketable and viewed as more versatile (thus able to cross fields). For those with limited skills who are relegated to the lowest tier jobs (those that are most often quickly shed) it can be a very different situation.

If the person above who posted the ratio of 1,000,000:1,000 (one million out of work, compared to one thousand job postings) then it would help explain the rate and length of unemployment.

If white people experience half of what blacks go through on a daily basis; we really would have a revolution on our hands!

Classified job postings are important sources but many people get/ hear about jobs the old fashioned way: through a friend or a relative.

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...

NYC had a massive budget problem for the last 3 years or so...its finally now starting to get better...they were closing firehouses, parks and swimming pools for fks sakes. I know -- I live here.

thats got to be the stupidest fucking statement I've heard all goddamned year. go the fuck away.

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and I shouldn't get riled by freeps...

But him talking out his ass about Haiti, and about NYC, my Home, are two different things entirelly. I get real territorial about my city since it became the centerpiece in the BFEE grab for absolute dominion, killing 3000 of my friends, neighbors and colleagues in the process.

Thanks for the heads up all the same.

Heh, he is using the classic "everyone has jobs, if you dont, its your fault" repuke approach.

Its Rule #234 in the Repuke Rules of Acquisition.

Whats funny is that I dont care who you are, you cant talk people into believing they have a job.

since its just a bunch of no good lazy coons!!'