How Social Networks Drive Black Unemployment

[ProSense]

How Social Networks Drive Black Unemployment

By NANCY DITOMASO

It’s easy to believe the worst is over in the economic downturn. But for African-Americans, the pain continues — over 13 percent of black workers are unemployed, nearly twice the national average. And that’s not a new development: regardless of the economy, job prospects for African-Americans have long been significantly worse than for the country as a whole.

The most obvious explanation for this entrenched disparity is racial discrimination. But in my research I have found a somewhat different culprit: favoritism. Getting an inside edge by using help from family and friends is a powerful, hidden force driving inequality in the United States.

Such favoritism has a strong racial component. Through such seemingly innocuous networking, white Americans tend to help other whites, because social resources are concentrated among whites. If African-Americans are not part of the same networks, they will have a harder time finding decent jobs.

<...>

Favoritism is almost universal in today’s job market. In interviews with hundreds of people on this topic, I found that all but a handful used the help of family and friends to find 70 percent of the jobs they held over their lifetimes; they all used personal networks and insider information if it was available to them.

- more -

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/how-social-networks-drive-black-unemployment

[el_bryanto]

1. That is a good point -

And well worth thinking about in terms of "White privilege." While some poor whites are doubtless victims of this kind of situation as well, getting a job because you know someone is a pretty long tradition in this nation. I've gotten jobs that way (although not the one I have now).

Bryant

[Recursion]

2. I taught a computer repair and networking program in DC Public Schools

The part that made me want to bang my head into bricks was that a lot of these kids had all the makings of great sysadmins, had passed CCNA, MCSA, and A+, but were just too black and urban for all the think-tank offices on K street who are currently facing a shortage of those skills.

It's not just that "people with an in do better", it's that "people without an in aren't considered in the first place, even with the network going down every 15 minutes." Sigh.

[greytdemocrat]

5. So???

That's the way the game is played. In case no one has
told Nancy, life isn't always fair.

[gollygee]

6. Wow, that's a nice attitude.

Is that your answer to every social problem?

[greytdemocrat]

8. It's reality. n/t

[ProSense]

7. Ah,

"That's the way the game is played. In case no one has told Nancy, life isn't always fair."

...the rich are getting richer. I guess "that's the way the game is played...life isn't always fair," right?

Disgusting!

[Starry Messenger]

9. Gee. You're right. Let's stop fixing things.

Politics, meh!

[boston bean]

11. I voted to hide it, but alas, once again, a jury doesn't give a shit

that racist crap is posted on DU.

[Starry Messenger]

12. x(

That sucks.

[greytdemocrat]

17. I didn't say that.

The poster brought up a POV. My answer is when people are looking for a job you think they aren't going to use every means available just because someone has a problem with social networks and who and who doesn't belong to them???

Get real. It you are looking for a job you take advantage of all options. If you don't, you're a fool.

[Starry Messenger]

19. !!1111

Let's use small words. Yes, people who have social networks use them. Some people don't have very well-developed ones though, because of historical inequality from racism.

You: So fucking what.

Us: ??

You: I'm Immocent!!11

[Recursion]

10. Yeah, I was just thinking: my house is on fire. No sense putting it out.

Buildings catch on fire all the time, after all...

Assnozzle.

[raccoon]

13. IME, most of the time that's how it is. Who you know.

There are some exceptions, but not a lot.

[Chisox08]

14. It not what you know but who you know

It's extremely hard to find a job if you don't know anyone on the inside. Often times African Americans don't know anyone on the inside, and the ones that do, for some reason don't want to help others who are looking for jobs. Until the "good ole boy" network is broken we will continue to have discriminatory practices when it come to employment.

[HiPointDem]

15. another thing that's currently driving black unemployment is government policies.

Last edited Mon May 6, 2013, 11:10 AM - Edit history (1)

specifically:

1) austerity & deficit reduction policies at every level that are reducing gov't & public employment, a source of employment for a higher percent of blacks than whites, and

2) education deform, which has hit black educators much harder, percentage wise, than whites.

those are two things the gov't can actually *do* something about, & it would help social networkin too.

so stuff this stupid article. the only reason networking doesn't work as well for blacks as whites = higher unemployment. and since higher unemployment has always been the case, networking ain't the problem.

and for the op poster who has now moved the goalposts: your op is about the unemployment rate, not the pay rate.

"It’s easy to believe the worst is over in the economic downturn. But for African-Americans, the pain continues — over 13 percent of black workers are unemployed, nearly twice the national average. And that’s not a new development: regardless of the economy, job prospects for African-Americans have long been significantly worse than for the country as a whole."

not to mention that the 'pain' isn't over for plenty of white amerivan either. come check out my neighborhood sometime.

stupid op.

[ProSense]

16. Yeah,

"so stuff this stupid article. the only reason networking doesn't work as well for blacks as whites = higher unemployment. and since higher unemployment has always been the case, networking ain't the problem. "

...that's the "only" reason. Absurd!



http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/27/1644721/wealth-gap-tripled-25/

The Titanic Wealth Gap Between Blacks and Whites
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022437928

[FreeJoe]

18. Just took a class that touched on this

I just took our Human Resource department's "How not to get us sued" class. We had a big section on hiring.

We have very low turnover where I work. People like working here and it is very hard to fire someone unless they really screw up. As a result, managers don't get to hire new employees very often and when they do, they have to live with their hiring choice for a long time. That results in people being very risk averse in their hiring. The natural tendency is to give preference to people that you, or someone that you trust, has significant work experience with. Of course, that leads to the problem discussed by the OP - people on the "outside" can't break in because people on the "inside" keep hiring each other. It's not out of malice, racism, elitism, etc. It's because they want to minimize their chances of hiring a problem by only hiring people that other insiders can vouch for.

Top deal with that, we have rules we have to follow. Any job opening has to be posted. We have to make an affirmative effort to get applicants with a varied genders, races, ages, etc. We have to hire the best of those applicants. You'd be surprised at how many times you start by expecting to hire your buddy's old co-worker only to find that another applicant is much better. People sometimes grouse that we have to follow "quotas" or that affirmative action is bad. Once they understand that our affirmative action doesn't lead to quotas and that it just means that we are pushing people to cast the broadest possible net to gather candidates AND that they are expected to hire the best candidate, they usually see the light.

[RobinA]

20. I Knew

I was doing something wrong. I've had 8 jobs and didn't get one them based on inside information or who I know.

[obliviously]

22. Why face these issues

When it is so much easier to ignore the truth of a matter.