Showing papers by "Harry J. Holzer published in 2005"

Declining Employment among Young Black Less-Educated Men: The Role of Incarceration and Child Support

Abstract: In this paper, we explore the continuing decline in employment and labor force participation of nonenrolled Black men between the ages of 16 and 34 who have a high school education or less in the 1980s and 1990s. We focus on two fairly new developments: (1) the dramatic growth in the number of young Black men who have been incarcerated and (2) strengthened enforcement of child support policies. We analyze micro-level data from the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Groups (CPS-ORG), into which state-level data over time on incarceration rates and child support enforcement have been merged. Our results indicate that previous incarceration and child support enforcement can account for half or more of the decline in employment activity among Black men aged 25–34. Previous incarceration also contributes to the decline among those aged 16–24. © 2005 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management

Can We Improve Job Retention and Advancement among Low-Income Working Parents?

Abstract: In this paper we review the evidence on four approaches to improving job retention and advancement among low-income working adults. These four approaches are: 1) Financial incentives and supports; 2) Case management and service provision, often by labor market intermediaries; 3) Skill development strategies; and 4) Employer-focused efforts, such as sectoral strategies and career ladder development at private firms. Within each category, we find at least some evidence of positive impacts on retention or advancement. Among the most promising approaches are the use of labor market intermediaries for job placements, the use of community colleges for training, and a variety of efforts that involve local employers. Mixed strategies that combine strong financial incentives and supports with labor market services and training also show promise. The paper also identifies areas where additional evaluation is needed.

What explains the continuing decline in labor force activity among young black men?1

Abstract: In this paper we show that employment rates among less-educated young black men in the US continued their long secular decline in the 1980s and 1990s We review a range of potential causes of this problem, including weak schooling, persistent discrimination, declining real wages and the disappearance of blue-collar jobs For the 1990s, we also focus on two fairly new developments: the dramatic rise in the numbers of young black men with criminal records and the rise in child support enforcement upon low-income non-custodial fathers We also discuss the implications of these findings for policy