(ThyBlackMan.com) At this time last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the black unemployment rate was 13.2 per cent and the United States economy created 88,000 new jobs. As we look back at those stats, the economy is now moving in the right direction as the March numbers this year are an improvement; 192,000 jobs were created by our economy and the official black unemployment rate stands at 12.4 per cent. This is almost a full percentage point lower than a year ago.
The black race made it through another year without imploding and we can assume that will be the case this year. Nevertheless, the above numbers mask anxiety within the African American community. A recent poll which is appearing in Ebony magazine’s upcoming May issue, of a “national sample of 1,005 African Americans identified job loss and financial insecurity as the #1 issue confronting black families.” The poll is based on an Ebony-W. K. Kellogg Foundation Survey of the African American family.
While Ebony magazine will make it official for many, readers of my articles have known for years that blacks are behind the proverbial “eight ball.” You can observe what is happening in black communities around the country. As African Americans endure six years of double-digit unemployment, black families are contracting. Children who had left home are returning, some jobless, to live with Mom and Dad sometimes
with grand children in tow. Then there are brothers and sisters of all ages who are moving in with each other to share the rent because it has become impossible for one to bear the cost alone.
Additionally, there are the degreed blacks working outside their fields of educational expertise. They are taking whatever jobs they can find. Depending upon the part of the country you live in, one can observe more black males of working age on the streets during the day when they should be holding down a job somewhere. Black on black crime is on the upswing in some of our communities. Regardless of what the politicians say, the overwhelming majority of crime is not cross color lines, meaning black on white or white on black crime. Crime, the vast majority of the time, is either black on black or white on white.
The Ebony article will put the black unemployment rate at 20 per cent. That number is a lot higher than the conservatively estimated 16 per cent I have been suggesting. Nevertheless, the basis for the higher rate is the same. Many well informed experts say, the national unemployment rate is off because the BLS does not take under consideration the long term unemployed who may have stop looking for work, the under employed and part time workers looking for full time employment.
These facts maybe cause for alarm and pessimism, especially for those who are out of work and seeking employment. To avoid being pessimistic, you have to keep in mind that extreme circumstances usually call for extreme solutions. I venture to say the black community is in what qualifies as extreme circumstances. Otherwise, Ebony, which is for the most part an entertainment magazine would probably not feature an article devoted to black unemployment. There is no question that our country is in need of a national job creation plan ( http://www.Jobcreationnow.com ).
The Ebony article will fail to address this as an issue. It takes time for publications like Ebony and indeed those who answer the call of black leadership, to evolve to a state where the discussion of solutions become the #1 focus. Remember, not to long ago, those who questioned the president’s commitment to addressing high black unemployment were considered Obama haters. That has changed. Amongst my family and friends, I now hear a familiar refrain, “Something needs to be done about these high unemployment numbers.” No longer is the president given a free ride when it comes to the high rate of black unemployment.
When you discuss possible solutions, you put those who say they are responsible for leadership within the black community on the spot. Why? Because, it is natural for critical thinkers to ask, “Why are we not pursuing this or that path as a solution to this problem?” Demanding questions require responses. Responses in some instances require taking a position. Positions matter because voters and the public can define political representatives and leaders based on positions on issues. Some politicians, it appears, would rather commit hara-kiri than get pinned down taking a definable position.
This is why I am suggesting publications like Ebony will not likely push, at this time, even as critical an issue as “black unemployment” is, the point of the need to have meaningful discussions about solutions. Sadly, for out of work blacks, the black misery index must increase even higher before this will occur. That is when solutions, “not circumstances” become the major focus. Nevertheless, presenting the circumstances of the African American economic experience is a beginning which will eventually lead to discussions about solutions. Many blacks who are in denial about the economic condition of the African American community under President Obama’s administration will benefit from the article by such a renowned black magazine.
Following is the rest of the unemployment data for March according to the BLS: The white unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent, the black male unemployment rate decreased from the prior month to 12.1 per cent from 12.9 per cent, while the rate for black females came off a historic low in single digits at 9.9 per cent in the prior month and jumped up to 11 per cent. The white male unemployment rate dropped from 5.5 per cent to 5.3 per cent and the white female rate increased from 5.1 per cent to 5.3 per cent. Over ten million people are still listed as being unemployed. The official unemployment rate remained the same at 6.7 per cent. And so it goes.
Staff Writer; James Davis
More information about JD and his Deficit Neutral Stimulus Plan Can be founded at http://www.sslumpsum.com.
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