Research Report The Labor Market and Young Black Men: Updating Moynihan's Perspective
Harry Holzer
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In this paper I review Daniel Patrick Moynihan's views on employment and young black men in his 1965 report. I then update the evidence on their employment status, and review the causes and policy implications of these trends. Moynihan was extremely prescient in forecasting a "crisis...that would only grow worse." He understood that these trends involve both limits on labor market opportunities that these young men face as well as skill deficits and behavioral responses by the young men themselves. Policies that deal with a wide range of disadvantages and behaviors are needed to reverse these trends.
Research Areas Children and youth Race and equity
Tags Racial and ethnic disparities Economic well-being Race, gender, class, and ethnicity Men and boys
Policy Centers Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population