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A lot of joblessness in the black community doesn't seem to be reachable through fiscal and monetary policies. People have not been drawn into the labor market even during periods of economic recovery. Our study clearly shows that employers would rather not hire a lot of workers from the inner city. They feel people from the inner city are not job-ready, that the kids have been poorly educated, that they can't read, they can't write, they can't speak.

William Julius Wilson#1

PolicyEducationRaceEmploymentWorkCity

About this quote

What does it mean?
Joblessness in the black community persists despite economic recovery because employers avoid hiring from the inner city due to perceived lack of job readiness and education.
In plain terms
Employers hesitate to hire inner-city workers because they doubt their skills and education.
What can you take from it?
Economic recovery alone does not solve hiring biases against inner-city residents.

Where it applies

  • economic policy discussions
  • urban employment studies
  • civil rights analysis

Putting it to work

  • address skills gaps
  • improve urban education
  • challenge employer bias

Questions to consider

  • How can education systems better prepare inner-city youth?
  • What motivates employers to avoid certain demographics?

Another view

The quote generalizes employer feelings without citing specific data on hiring practices.

More from William Julius Wilson

  1. Affirmative action has to be combined with a broader program of social reform that would emphasize social rights: the right to employment, the right to educati…

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  2. Liberals were intimidated by the Reagan administration and did not want to appear naive by talking about programs that called for government support. I just sa…

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  3. Racism should be viewed as an intervening variable. You give me a set of conditions and I can produce racism in any society. You give me a different set of con…

    Permalink to quote #4

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