Transporting Black Men to Good Jobs

Economic Policy Institute

Transportation Infrastructure and Good Jobs for Black Men

Algernon Austin

Congressional BriefingTransporting Black Men to Good Jobs

Transportation Infrastructure, Transportation Jobs, and Public TransitWednesday, September 26, 2012

8:30 - 10:00 amRayburn House Office Building - Gold Room (2168)

September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 2

24.6%

22.0% 21.6% 21.6% 20.9%19.8% 19.6% 18.7% 18.6% 18.0%

13.0%

8.8% 9.0%

13.5%

10.2%

7.5%6.2%

10.6%

8.2% 7.7%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Top ten metropolitan areas with the highest black male unemployment rates,

July 2009 to May 2012

Black male White male

Source: Author's estimates based on Current Population Survey and Local Area Unemployment Statistics data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.


10.3%

12.2%

4.7%

10.1%

13.1%

4.4%4.9%

9.3%

6.7%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

Construction Manufacturing Transportation

Share of male 16-to-64 year-old population in construction, manufacturing, and

transportation industries, 2005-2007 (ACS estimates)

All

Wh

ite

Bla

ck

Source: Author's analysis of American Community Survey data from Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database](Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2010).


-150,000

-198,000

-134,000

-250,000

-200,000

-150,000

-100,000

-50,000

0

Construction Manufacturing Transportation and Utilities

Estimated number of black male job losses from 2007 to 2011

Source: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

ASCE Transportation Infrastructure Grades, 2009

Aviation: D

Bridges: C

Rail: C-

Roads: D-

Transit: D

Source: http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/


http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/


9%

14%13%

11%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

SAFETEA-LU T4A Transit-Plus FTA Transit Backlog AA Transportion Action Plan

Estimated share of African-American jobs in different transportation infrastructure

investment plans

Source: Economic Policy Institute

FTA Transit Backlog Jobs

• 74% male

• 16% less than high school diploma

• 39% high school diploma

• 28% some college

• 17% bachelor’s degree or higher


Source: Ethan Pollack and Rebecca Theiss, Impact of Alternate Public Transit and Rail Investment Scenarios on the Labor Market, Issue Brief #285 (Wasington D.C.: Economic Policy Institute, 2010).


15%

23%24%

21%

17%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest

Wage distribution by quintiles of FTA Transit Backlog jobs

Source: Ethan Pollack and Rebecca Thiess, Impact of Alternate Public Transit and Rail Investment Scenarios on the Labor Market, Issue Brief #285(Washington D.C.: Economic Policy Institute, 2010).

"VeryLow Wage"

"Low Wage"

"MediumWage"

"HighWage"

"Very HighWage"

Benefits of Transportation Infrastructure Investments for Black

Men

• Depending on the type of investments, black men can get a significant share of the jobs created.

• Most of the jobs pay well.

• Transportation infrastructure investments in public transit can lead to the creation of transportation jobs which can also benefit black men.


Benefits of Transportation Infrastructure Investments for Black

Men (continued)

• Good public transit systems can increase the access to jobs of black males who lack private vehicles.


More information at www.epi.org

[email protected]


http://www.epi.org/

mailto:[email protected]

Transporting Black Men to Good Jobs

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