The Black Youth Employment Crisis

The Black Youth Employment Crisis
Author: Richard B. Freeman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 488
Release: 1986
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780226261645

In recent years, the earnings of young blacks have risen substantially relative to those of young whites, but their rates of joblessness have also risen to crisis levels. The papers in this volume, drawing on the results of a groundbreaking survey conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, analyze the history, causes, and features of this crisis. The findings they report and conclusions they reach revise accepted explanations of black youth unemployment. The contributors identify primary determinants on both the demand and supply sides of the market and provide new information on important aspects of the problem, such as drug use, crime, economic incentives, and attitudes among the unemployed. Their studies reveal that, contrary to popular assumptions, no single factor is the predominant cause of black youth employment problems. They show, among other significant factors, that where female employment is high, black youth employment is low; that even in areas where there are many jobs, black youths get relatively few of them; that the perceived risks and rewards of crime affect decisions to work or to engage in illegal activity; and that churchgoing and aspirations affect the success of black youths in finding employment. Altogether, these papers illuminate a broad range of economic and social factors which must be understood by policymakers before the black youth employment crisis can be successfully addressed.

Experiencing Black Youth Unemployment and Unresponsive Labor Market in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Experiencing Black Youth Unemployment and Unresponsive Labor Market in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Author: Jah-Xolani Radebe
Publisher: Eliva Press
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2021-05-06
Genre:
ISBN: 9781636481845

The aim of this book is to examine the attitudes and opinions of the younger generation of Black African youth born in or after 1994 which marks the birth of democracy in South Africa. This book investigates the livelihoods, activities, and struggles of the unemployed youths at eMaplazini Ward 44 iNanda eThekwini Municipality. The study investigates at how youths make meaning of their emotional, socioeconomic, educational, and recreational needs. This study further examines the dynamics of coping mechanisms that the unemployed youth utilize on a daily basis. It examines how unemployment affects the family life and well-being of the households of the unemployed youth. And further it examines the types of resources and services available and challenges for young Black people while unemployed. This book also investigates the role played by social agencies such as government institutions, education sector and also nongovernmental organizations and how they empower young Black youth in defining their future. Lastly, it looks to what extent do socio-economic, education, political and cultural factors impact on youth employment in relation to the skills required by the South African labour market.

The Youth Labor Market Problem

The Youth Labor Market Problem
Author: Richard B. Freeman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 568
Release: 2007-12-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0226261867

This volume brings together a massive body of much-needed research information on a problem of crucial importance to labor economists, policy makers, and society in general: unemployment among the young. The thirteen studies detail the ambiguity and inadequacy of our present standard statistics as applied to youth employment, point out the error in many commonly accepted views, and show that many critically important aspects of this problem are not adequately understood. These studies also supply a significant amount of raw data, furnish a platform for further research and theoretical work in labor economics, and direct attention to promising avenues for future programs.

Job Skills and Minority Youth

Job Skills and Minority Youth
Author: Barton J. Hirsch
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2015-11-19
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 131645360X

Minority youth unemployment is an enduring economic and social concern. This book evaluates two new initiatives for minority high school students that seek to cultivate marketable job skills. The first is an after-school program that provides experiences similar to apprenticeships, and the second emphasizes new approaches to improving job interview performance. The evaluation research has several distinct strengths. It involves a randomized controlled trial, uncommon in assessments of this issue and age group. Marketable job skills are assessed through a mock job interview developed for this research and administered by experienced human resource professionals. Mixed methods are utilized, with qualitative data shedding light on what actually happens inside the programs, and a developmental science approach situating the findings in terms of adolescent development. Beneficial for policy makers and practitioners as well as scholars, Job Skills and Minority Youth focuses on identifying the most promising tactics and addressing likely implementation issues.

Protecting Youth at Work

Protecting Youth at Work
Author: National Research Council and Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 335
Release: 1998-12-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309064139

In Massachusetts, a 12-year-old girl delivering newspapers is killed when a car strikes her bicycle. In Los Angeles, a 14-year-old boy repeatedly falls asleep in class, exhausted from his evening job. Although children and adolescents may benefit from working, there may also be negative social effects and sometimes danger in their jobs. Protecting Youth at Work looks at what is known about work done by children and adolescents and the effects of that work on their physical and emotional health and social functioning. The committee recommends specific initiatives for legislators, regulators, researchers, and employers. This book provides historical perspective on working children and adolescents in America and explores the framework of child labor laws that govern that work. The committee presents a wide range of data and analysis on the scope of youth employment, factors that put children and adolescents at risk in the workplace, and the positive and negative effects of employment, including data on educational attainment and lifestyle choices. Protecting Youth at Work also includes discussions of special issues for minority and disadvantaged youth, young workers in agriculture, and children who work in family-owned businesses.

Disadvantaged Youth Unemployment

Disadvantaged Youth Unemployment
Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Subcommittee on Labor
Publisher:
Total Pages: 140
Release: 1987
Genre: Manpower policy
ISBN:

The Black Youth Employment Crisis

The Black Youth Employment Crisis
Author: Richard B. Freeman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2008-04-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0226261824

In recent years, the earnings of young blacks have risen substantially relative to those of young whites, but their rates of joblessness have also risen to crisis levels. The papers in this volume, drawing on the results of a groundbreaking survey conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, analyze the history, causes, and features of this crisis. The findings they report and conclusions they reach revise accepted explanations of black youth unemployment. The contributors identify primary determinants on both the demand and supply sides of the market and provide new information on important aspects of the problem, such as drug use, crime, economic incentives, and attitudes among the unemployed. Their studies reveal that, contrary to popular assumptions, no single factor is the predominant cause of black youth employment problems. They show, among other significant factors, that where female employment is high, black youth employment is low; that even in areas where there are many jobs, black youths get relatively few of them; that the perceived risks and rewards of crime affect decisions to work or to engage in illegal activity; and that churchgoing and aspirations affect the success of black youths in finding employment. Altogether, these papers illuminate a broad range of economic and social factors which must be understood by policymakers before the black youth employment crisis can be successfully addressed.

Communities in Action

Communities in Action
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309452961

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.