Topic > The African American Unemployment Problem in the United States

Bing defines a social problem as “an undesirable condition that people believe must be corrected.” One undesirable condition that I believe needs to be corrected is the unemployment situation of black men. According to a News One article, a “report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for black men fell from 11.2 percent to 11.0 percent in December 2014, and the rate of men African Americans participating in the workforce is increasing: it went from 66.9% in November to 67.8% in December.” The black race needs education on the power of stability and finance. Furthermore, training to implement such practices would be very helpful in reducing the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate for Black men will continue to fluctuate if we do not resolve situations that cause hardship in the community, such as; criminal record, lack of education, racial discrimination and lack of commitment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, research shows that African American men between the ages of eighteen and fifty-four have the highest unemployment rate in America. This information was last updated on July 6, 2018; Having said that I believe this is an active problem in society. According to Heather Long of the Washington Post, “Black unemployment fell to 6.8% in December, and was the lowest the U.S. Department of Labor has recorded since it began tracking the black unemployment rate in 1972.” . To some this ratio seems ok, but to me it is positive, but reiterates that we have 6.8% left to go. Criminal records are an important part of the job search. With a certain background history, a person is not eligible for any form of government or certified position. The Law Dictionary states that “most of the common rights of convicted criminals are lost or severely curtailed; these rights include: voting, foreign travel, the right to bear arms or possess weapons, jury service, employment in certain fields, parental benefits, public welfare benefits, and housing. One issue that particularly strikes me is that convicted felons lose their right to housing. This means that they must parole a family member and that is only if there is no criminal already present in the resident. In some states felons are not allowed to reside in a resident with children under a certain age. This makes stability more difficult and every criminal is unable to stay in a halfway house. For example, De'shawn Johnson is the son of a single mother who dies of a heart attack. His mother couldn't afford life insurance and the bills fell on him. He has to take a second job to keep up with all the bills left behind by his mother and child support payments. Finding a second job forces him to take a semester off from college. He falls into depression and gets into trouble for stealing. He is now a convicted felon and has no family to parole to and no right to residency in a halfway house. How is he supposed to keep a job with no address, no money for supplies, or a way to contact an employer? I don't agree with the theft, but I understand that De'shawn is in a tough situation. There is a lack of educational resources in the African American community. This is a problem because there is a preconceived idea that the African American race does not want to engage in work. Society has always told us that the black man is lazy and doesn't want to work.One of the problems I consistently see is that most unemployed black men did not have the luxury of a quality education. I believe in the saying “different strokes for different people”. This slogan is about school systems and teachers who have allowed Black student-athletes to escape the school system, the education system and testing, only to benefit the school through a touchdown rather than an academic scholarship. The more touchdowns and field goals made increases school funding and leaves room for poorly educated athletes to not thrive after high school. According to the Education Next article, “When they enter primary school, low-income black inner-city youth are herded into inadequate schools. They are more likely to be suspended or enrolled in special education classes, less likely to graduate from high school on time, and, in fact, more likely to drop out of school altogether. As a result, as they enter adulthood, many young Black men, particularly males, are less likely to enter the workforce or post-secondary educational institutions…etc. Young black males experienced unemployment and were disconnected from schools and vocational colleges at rates ranging from 20 to 32 percent. In 2011, after the end of the last recession, more than a quarter of young black males were neither employed nor enrolled in school or job training.” My interpretation of this article is that the school system is setting students up to fail if they don't retain information at the same rate everyone does. There is always a shortage of funding or a lack of space to fill the classrooms. I remember when I was in first grade; we had three different grades in one class. All the students had the same teacher but the grades were sitting on different tables. All classwork consisted of worksheets and breaks. When the class was full, the first graders sat on the carpet all day to leave the chairs for the older children. Why did this happen in a city with four school districts? There was no personal time with the teachers and discipline was at the highest level. The Education Next article couldn't have said it better because many media jobs now require at least a bachelor's degree or other training in order to land some minimum wage positions. Minorities have not set aside funds for their children to attend an institution of higher education or training. The economic challenges that single-parent families face do not favor the ability to save for college. Therefore, most students rely on their ability to obtain federal student aid and student loans. The lack of a quality educational foundation impacts students' ability to maintain a decent grade point average, and they end up losing funding and dropping out of school to work. Racial discrimination can take many forms in the workplace. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “the law prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, compensation, job assignments, promotions, termination, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment." Racial discrimination is harassment and demonstrates the mindset of the person and not the particular company. An employee's actions can have serious consequences for the company. That said, you would think that employees behave well and keep their personal preferences out of the workplace, but this is not the case According to the European Journal of English Language and.