African American Men and the Labor Market during the Great Recession

Holder, Michelle

doi:10.1057/978-1-137-56311-8

Cited by 8 publications

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“…As the pandemic unfolded, businesses deemed nonessential in industries such as arts and entertainment, accommodations and food services (that is, hotels and restaurants), and retail trade were identified for temporary closure or scaled-back activity. Many occupations in these industries are low wage, and women constitute a greater share of the low-wage labor force in the US than men (Holder 2018). Moreover, women constitute the largest share of minimum wage workers by gender (Holder 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many occupations in these industries are low wage, and women constitute a greater share of the low-wage labor force in the US than men (Holder 2018). Moreover, women constitute the largest share of minimum wage workers by gender (Holder 2017). When the US Department of Labor's BLS (2020b) released the April "Employment Situation" report on May 8th (a week later than it normally would have), the report indicated the April unemployment rate for women exceeded the unemployment rate for men -16.2 percent versus 13.2 percent, respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Early Impact of Covid-19 on Job Losses among Black Women in the United States

2021

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Given that a high proportion of workers in "essential" sectors of the US economy are Black women, this paper seeks to answer the following: in which occupations did Black women in the US experience the greatest job losses during the early phase of the pandemic? Drawing on feminist economic and stratification economic theories, this quantitative analysis suggests that the greatest losses were cashier jobs in the hotel and restaurant industry, and childcare worker positions in the healthcare and social services industry. These two occupations are low wage, dominated by women, and considered essential. This study posits that Black women disproportionately lost these jobs for three reasons: (1) Black women's strong attachment to the US workforce; (2) Black women's overrepresentation in the hotel/restaurant and healthcare/social services industries; and (3) women's overrepresentation in low-wage occupations. The study offers policy solutions that could help sustain the Black community during the pandemic-inspired economic downturn.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Early Impact of Covid-19 on Job Losses among Black Women in the United States

2021

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Beyond the Great Recession: Labor Market Polarization and Ongoing Fertility Decline in the United States

Seltzer

2019

Demography

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In the years since the Great Recession, social scientists have anticipated that economic recovery in the U.S., characterized by gains in employment and median household income, would augur a reversal of declining fertility trends. However, the expected post-recession rebound in fertility rates has yet to materialize. In this study, I propose an economic explanation for why fertility rates have continued to decline regardless of improvements in conventional economic indicators. I argue that ongoing structural changes in U.S. labor markets have prolonged the financial uncertainty that leads women and couples to delay or forego childbearing. Combining statistical and survey data with restricted use vital registration records, I examine how cyclical and structural changes in metropolitan-area labor markets were associated with changes in total fertility rates (TFR) across racial/ethnic groups from the early 1990s to the present day, with a particular focus on the period between 2006-2014. The findings suggest that changes in industry compositionspecifically, the loss of manufacturing and construction businesseshave a larger effect on TFR than changes in the unemployment rate for all racial/ethnic groups. Since structural changes in labor markets are more likely to be sustained over time, in contrast to unemployment rates which fluctuate with economic cycles, further reductions in unemployment are unlikely to reverse declining fertility trends.

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How to Change Economics 101

Komlos¹

2021

Challenge

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African American Men and the Labor Market during the Great Recession

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

The Early Impact of Covid-19 on Job Losses among Black Women in the United States

The Early Impact of Covid-19 on Job Losses among Black Women in the United States

Beyond the Great Recession: Labor Market Polarization and Ongoing Fertility Decline in the United States

How to Change Economics 101

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