Where African American Men Stand Post-Recession in the Labor Market: Economic Theories Underlie Advocacy Efforts and Policy Approaches

Abstract

Federal anti-discrimination policies implemented in the 1960s helped improve the position of African Americans in the US labor market, but these policies did not eliminate persistent occupational segregation based on race. Because the problem of discrimination in the US labor market is complex, effective solutions must be multifaceted. The policy avenues outlined in this chapter are national and local in scope and include approaches that have the potential to mitigate the disparate effects of economic downturns on African American men. I begin this chapter by providing a snapshot of where African American men stand in the US labor market today with regard to occupational representation and unemployment, and then discuss potential policy solutions.