Berkeley Researchers Document a Job Crisis in the Black Community

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education have issued a new report which finds that a majority of all African-American workers in the United States are stuck in low-paying jobs that have little or no retirement benefits and offer no avenues for advancement.

Specifically, the data shows that 56 percent of all black workers earn less than $12.87 per hour. Nearly three quarters of all black workers employed by retail firms are stuck in low-paying jobs.

The report, entitled Job Quality and Black Workers, is authored by Steven C. Pitts, a labor policy specialist at the center. Pitts states, “We can’t keep focusing exclusively  on the issue of black unemployment. This is a two-dimensional problem that includes unemployment and the crisis of low-wage jobs.” A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Pitts holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in urban economics from the University of Houston.

The report can be downloaded by clicking here.

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