The Long Term Unemployment Editorial

First, there is a big difference between the unemployment situation in Africa, the Caribbean, Pacific Region; and then in places like Europe and the United States. The conditions in Africa and parts of the Third World, for instance, are in one word: deplorable; and usually, the respective government is to blame. Besides, since many people in these parts of the world are engaged in subsistence farming or the ‘work to eat’ model, there’s no doubt that people are, disproportionately, unemployed in the classic sense of the word for all their lives. Because of the sheer breadth of third world unemployment, this editorial intends to raise its collective hands up in defeat and choose to look at the effects and characteristics of long term unemployment in and amongst the people of color in the West.

The lack of a job can be devastating for anyone – black, white or yellow. If you need to make a living, its a basic human right to be able to do so. The more people that have a job, the better. It is a sign that the economy is working and especially that the government’s policies – taxation, equitable distribution of resources, investment, healthcare and what not – are effective. That is why long term unemployment is especially dangerous in an economy like the U.S. According to a 2007 Congressional Budget Office Report,* long term unemployment referred to those who had been without a job for about 26 weeks. Of all those who were unemployed for a long time, about 70% of those ended up finding a job while the rest, glaringly, stopped actively looking for work and basically ‘fell through the cracks’ into those not recognized by the office statisticians. About a third of the currently 14 million unemployed people have been unemployed, on average, for more than 52 weeks – and in America, this is a really long time to go without a job.

When it comes to being black and also being unemployed, the number is roughly double that of whites; and this has been consistent ever since the government started tracking the figures in 1972. But this is not even the worst part. Perhaps one of the most poignant quotes comes from Alford Young Jr., a sociology professor at the University of Michigan. ‘When, for a good portion of your adult life, you exist on the margin, you lose our sense of understanding of the work environment, and what social ties matter most for work.’ This probably explains why, even when they are gainfully employed, black people carry out illicit acts; this could be the reason violent acts and drugs are decimating the young black population; this could provide an inkling into why many families are now headed by women; why many black young men are in jail; many young black women cannot find a suitable partner and are, thus, not married … This list goes on and on and on. Interestingly, this Ugandan article on the ‘hustle’ illustrates how remarkably parallel Ugandans and Black Americans ostensibly are in terms of how they deal with their unemployment and the informal economy.

Long term unemployment, and unemployment in general affects those that are not well educated, those who work in manufacturing and those who are already poor. And in American terms, unemployment is especially tough on black men. In what seems like a vicious circle specifically designed for black men, many have been unemployed for over a year; many have probably exhausted some sort of government support – unemployment insurance or health care – and thus, are finding it harder and harder to survive. Then, there’s evidence that those who have been out of the labor force find it even harder to get back in because they may not have the requisite ‘updated’ skills or lost the zeal. Compounded with the economic situation, many cannot go out to find a job simply because they lack transportation. And then we are right back at the existence on a margin mentioned by Prof. Young because [and to allude to pop culture], the truth is that its hard out there for a brother!

What do you do under those circumstances when your child or parent falls sick? Much as many may view the West as more progressive, more developed and also richer, what is apparent is that there is no support system to save you in those dark days of winter; on those longer hot days in the summer when the heat finds you everywhere. And most of all, you cannot escape from yourself and the knowledge that you are a failure. In this way, the despondency of the unemployed is dealt with ‘much better’ in Africa. If you cannot find a job, you return to the village and dig. Simple. This quiet resignation is almost seen in and among black Americans who it seems, are just in survival mode. This probably accounts for the hostility young black men feel towards authority figures and even their own leaders. Simply, its a jungle out there.

* The Congressional Budget Office can be simply termed as the official score keeper of the U.S. government. Everyone relies on the CBO for economic and other kinds of data. It is considered ‘non partisan’ which means that it does not follow either conservative or liberal economic ideology.

Dennis Matanda,
Editor