Culture/Economy, Economy/Culture: NYT Comments On Unemployment Rate For NYC's Young Black Male Population

It's all so politely phrased, but it sets OS's hair on fire to read it.

The report, written by Michelle Holder, a labor market analyst with the Community Service Society, noted that during the recession that began in December 2007, working-age black men suffered an especially large increase of unemployment. The jobless rate for that group jumped to 17.9 percent in 2009 from 9 percent in 2006. Among young men of all races, age 16 to 24, the overall jobless rate rose to 24.6 percent during the recession.

The report, entitled “Unemployment in New York City During the Recession and Early Recovery,” noted that the jobless rate for Hispanic men, age 16 to 24, rose to 24.7 percent during the recession, while their labor force participation rate was 42 percent. For all men age 16 to 24 in New York City, the jobless rate was 22.4 percent during the period studied, while the labor force participation rate was 42 percent. According to the report, women with less than a high school diploma had the lowest labor force participation rate of any group: 28 percent.

The group with the lowest jobless rate during the recession and the early part of the recovery — the recession ended in June 2009 — was Asian women, age 55 to 64. Their unemployment rate in 2009 was 4.5 percent, the report found.

The crucial bit for OS is that 'participation rate'. If 42 percent are 'participating', i.e. employed or actively in the system seeking employment, then 58 percent are off the radar. They don't have enough hope or belief in the future to participate in the above-ground economy or culture.

Contrast with the Asian women 55-64 stat.

This is not a racist rant, not at all. The difference in culture, expectations, family dynamics, etc. impact these numbers so strongly. It isn't that people with black skin or hispanic heritage are inherently incapable--but something happened along the way, and amongst their young men, the level of belief in the future has faded away.

So, where are they? Where do they go? What do they do? What does the future look like for them?

What should we be doing about this? Whatever we've done to date hasn't worked, so please--no more rants from the Left about how we should just throw more money in the direction of the NEA and Urban League.