It's so badthat the average black man in Milwaukeeis more likely to be jobless than employed, according to new data fromUW-Milwaukee's Center for Economic Development.
ProfessorMarc Levine's study shows that in 2009, 53% of Milwaukee's black men werejobless, up from 47% in 2008 and the highest level recorded in the city sincethese statistics started being kept in 1970.
The “joblessrate” is a measurement that includes men who are officially unemployed as wellas those who are disabled, incarcerated, voluntarily unemployed or retired anddiscouraged workers who have given up looking for work. This more-inclusivemeasurement is higher than the official unemployment rate.
The highlevel of joblessness is not the only bad news for Milwaukee's black men. According to Levine'sstudy:
Joblessness amongblack men in their prime working years, between 25 and 54, jumped from 36% to44% from 2008 to 2009.
- Improvedhigh-school graduation rates aren't holding down black male unemployment. Thenumber of high-school graduates for those over the age of 25 has increased from34% in 1970 to 75% in 2009. But the jobless rate for black men in their primeearning years has tripled during the same period.
- The racial gap injoblessness has tripled since 1970, from an 11% gap to a 31% gap in joblessnessbetween white men and black men.
- The Great Recessionhas hit Milwaukee'sblack men harder than white men. While Milwaukeelost almost 20,000 jobs, white males are faring better in Milwaukee than those in “thriving” citiesaround the country. Black men, on the other hand, are doing better elsewherethan in Milwaukee.
SuburbanSegregation and Incarceration Policies
In aninterview with the Shepherd, Levinesaid the greatest factor in the persistent racial gap is “entrenchedsegregation,” as he put it.
As of 2008,38% of the city of Milwaukee's population isAfrican American, while 25% of Milwaukee County is AfricanAmerican.
Compare thatto the 2000 U.S. Census figures for WaukeshaCounty, which is 96% white and 0.73%African American; Ozaukee County, which is 97% white and 0.2% African American;and Washington County, which is 98% white and 0.4%African American.
“We have thelowest rate of black suburbanization of any large metropolitan area in thecountry,” Levine said. “Since job growth has been a bit better in suburbanareas than in central cities, the fact that we have so few African-Americanmales living in the suburbs means that blacks don't have ready access to wherethe jobs are.”
David Pate,an assistant professor at UWM's Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, said thejobless black men he's been studying say that they feel uncomfortable when theyapply for jobs in all-white suburbs.
“They feelthat they're under a microscope,” Pate said. “They've told me, ‘I'm not wantedthere. Why should I keep bothering to apply for a job there?'”
Levine alsopointed to the high incarceration rate for black men in Milwaukee.
“We have acriminal justice policy for young black men, not an employment policy,” Levinesaid.
Levinesuggested that improved regional transit, job training and a “Marshall Plan”for public works jobs would help to boost black men's job prospects.
Localbusinesses and governments should have a “buy locally, hire locally” policy,Levine added.
In 2009, theMilwaukee Common Council passed the MORE Ordinance, which had been spearheadedby the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition.
Theordinance requires all private development projects seeking more than $1million in public assistance to prioritize the hiring of workers from the citywho are unemployed or underemployed and to seek contracts from emerging orlocal businesses before contracting with other vendors.
