Discuss the reasons behind the high unemployment rates of young African Americans. According to the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, who are considered unemployed?
What will be an ideal response?
The employment picture is especially grim for African American workers aged 16 to 24 .
During the height of the recent recession, for Black youth aged 16–19, unemployment in 2012 hit just over 39 percent—equivalent to the national unemployment rate during the darkest period of the Great Depression.
Social scientists have cited many factors to explain why official unemployment rates for young African Americans are so high:
• Many African Americans live in the depressed economy of the central cities.
• Immigrants and illegal aliens present increased competition.
• White middle-class women have entered the labor force.
• Illegal activities whereby youths can make more money are increasingly prevalent.
The federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics counts as unemployed people only those who are actively seeking employment. Therefore, to be officially unemployed, a person must not hold a full-time job, must be registered with a government employment agency, and must be engaged in submitting job applications and seeking interviews. The official unemployment rate leaves out millions of Americans, Black and White, who are effectively unemployed. It does not count people who are so discouraged they have temporarily given up looking for employment. The problem of unemployment is further compounded by underemployment, or working at a job for which one is overqualified, involuntarily working part-time instead of fulltime, or being employed only intermittently.
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