(NNPA) - The unemployment rate for Black men in New York City has hit a new high. Nearly one-half of them are jobless, according to a new study released called, "A Crisis in Black Male Employment: Unemployment and Joblessness in New York City, 2003." The Community Service Society (CSS) of New York reveals that unemployment rose among Black men during the nation’s recent recession and that only 51.8 percent of Black men between the ages of 16 through 64 were employed. This is a dramatic decline of 12.2 percentage points from 2000.
In 2000, there were 791,600 Black men in prison. With some of those men now out and searching for jobs, prospects for gaining meaningful employment seem dismal.
"This report raises troubling, urgent questions that cannot be ignored," said David R. Jones, president of CSS. "Joblessness of this magnitude harms individuals, destroys families, and is corrosive to communities, but ultimately diminishes opportunities and creates problems for all New Yorkers. There may not be a simple solution to this problem, but that cannot be an excuse for inaction."
While job-holding among Black women in the city rose over the last three years, the employment rate for White men compared to Black men was 23.9 percentage points higher.
Overall, the city’s unemployment rate stood at 8.5 percent, but the numbers were higher in communities of color. Blacks constituted 12.9 percent of the unemployment rate, while Latinos leveled out at 9.6 percent. Educational background also was a factor, with 11.2 percent of the unemployed comprised of people with less than a high school diploma.
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