Race May Determine Unemployment

Photo of the FDR Memorial script that states unemployment is the greatest menace to our social order.

Photo courtesy of user guitarfish via flickr.

The recession is hitting minorities and those who don’t hold a college degree the hardest, according to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI). The report, titled “Recession Pushed Unemployment to Record Levels for Many Groups of D.C. Residents,” says that since January 2008, unemployment rates in D.C. nearly doubled. As of 2009, unemployment rates stood at 8.4 percent for Latino residents, 15.6 percent for Black residents and 4.1 percent for white residents.  

African American and Hispanic DC residents have been hit the hardest. Graph by Street Sense.
All groups of DC residents lost jobs in the recession. Graphic by Street Sense.

DCFPI executive director Ed Lazere acknowledges that the economy in D.C. is recovering, but says that the effects on unemployment have been serious and the city needs to take many steps to raise the employment rates for these groups.  

A key point Lazere makes is that the recession is not the main cause of the unemployment problem. He instead targeted a long-term decline in the city’s economy and refers to what he calls a “gentrification of the labor market.” He said, “There are fewer opportunities for people, and some people just don’t have the skills.”  

So, why is the problem more severe for minority groups (specifically, African Americans) and those who do not have a college degree? Lazere said that because of a significant overlap between race and education level, this is not surprising. To make it so that more minorities and non-college grads are not facing unemployment in such significant numbers, he stressed the need for a renewed focus by the city government on adult literacy education and specialized job training.  

“We’ve seen that when they focus, they can do something,” Lazere said about D.C. city government. The growing unemployment numbers have proved that a “laissez-faire” approach to the economy, as Lazere refers to it, is not enough.  

A seemingly comforting statistic is that, according to DCFPI, there has been a two percent decline in unemployment this past year. Although he acknowledges that this is a sign that the economy is in fact on the path to recovery, is concerned that minority or non-college graduate D.C. residents aren’t getting those jobs. According to Jenny Reed for DCFPI, only 30 percent of jobs in the District are held by D.C. residents, and even in the supposed upturn in the economy, only 48 percent of residents with no post-secondary education were working last year, as opposed to 80 percent of college graduates. This is the lowest level in 30 years.  

Lazere thinks that city council chair Vincent Gray, who is presumed to be the city’s next mayor, is serious when he says that he is going to make unemployment a top priority. As Lazere pointed out, Gray made unemployment a main focus in his campaign, proving that he recognizes the severity of the issue. Additionally, according to the same article mentioned above, Gray “will need to help D.C. residents get jobs in sectors of the economy that are growing and that offer living-wage career options.” 


Issues |Economy|Jobs|Unemployment


Region |Washington DC

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