Staggering African-American Male Unemployment Rates a Hidden Shame Never Talked About in U.S. Joint Economic CMTE Hearing to Examine Crisis/Solutions
Press Release
Media Advisory Contact: Israel Klein
March 7, 2007 202-224-0368
STAGGERING AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES A HIDDEN SHAME
NEVER TALKED ABOUT IN U.S., JOINT
ECONOMIC COMMITTEE HEARING TO
EXAMINE CRISIS AND URGE SOLUTIONS
On Eve of Release of New Employment Figures, Schumer to Urge Experts to
Develop National Plan Based on Previously Successful Programs
Modernization of Earned Income Tax Credit and Innovative Social Training
Programs Developed by Key Hearing Witnesses
In Landmark Congressional Hearing, JEC Chairman Highlights Historic
Difficulties Uniquely Facing Population Segment, Almost 20 Years After Last
Hearing on Economic Status of African Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic
Committee, will hold a hearing to address the little talked about, but staggering rates of African
American male unemployment on March 8, 2007 at 9:30 am in 562 Dirksen Senate Office
Building. The JEC will examine in more detail, and investigate federal policy solutions, such as
job training and social insurance reform, that will help us meet the challenges of this serious
problem. The landmark JEC hearing will mark the first significant effort by the committee to
address the economic status of African Americans since 1990 and it comes on the eve of the
release of new employment figures by the federal government. As of January 2007, the
unemployment rate for African American men age 20 and older is 7.5%.
There is a growing crisis of joblessness for African-American men. Across the country, far too
many black men - especially in urban areas - face difficulty finding and keeping work. The
numbers are staggering and getting worse. As far back as 1980, a 20-year old black man was
almost twice as likely to be unemployed than a white male of the same age. Even during the
economic boom of the 1990s, the annual labor force participation rate of African American
males over 20 dropped from 75 percent in 1990 to 72 percent in 1999, and it remained between
three and four percentage points below that of white males with few exceptions. The recent
downturn in manufacturing jobs will exacerbate African-American male unemployment numbers
because they make up a large share of those jobs.
The panelists will include:
Ronald B. Mincy, Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social
Work Practice, School of Social Work, Columbia University and editor of
Black Males Left Behind
Robert Carmona, President and CEO, STRIVE (Support and Training
Result in Valuable Employees)
WHAT: Joint Economic Committee Hearing on African
American Male Unemployment
WHEN: Thursday, March 8, 2007
9:30AM - 10:30 AM
WHERE: 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building
The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by
Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.
www.jec.senate.gov
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