For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Contact: Karen Conner or Eve Turow, news@epi.org 202-775-8810
In a number of metropolitan areas, the unemployment rate for African Americans and Hispanics approached Great Depression-like levels in 2009, an Economic Policy Institute analysis finds. The report, Uneven Pain: Unemployment by Metro Area and Race by EPI researcher Algernon Austin, examines unemployment by race in the 50 largest metro areas in the United States.
The white unemployment rate reached double digits in four metro areas. Unemployment rates for nonwhite populations were particularly high in three cities: Providence had a Hispanic unemployment rate of 21.4% and Detroit and Minneapolis had African American unemployment rates of 20.9% and 20.4%, respectively.
The Hispanic and African American metro unemployment rates exceeded 1.5 times the white metro unemployment rate in most of the metros analyzed. In Providence, the Hispanic unemployment rate was double the white rate, and in Minneapolis and Memphis, the African American unemployment rate was three times the white rate.
Below is a list of state groups offering a local analysis of the findings published in this report. These state groups are part of The Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN): a network of state and regional multi-issue research, policy, and advocacy organizations. The network currently includes 56 organizations in 42 states. EARN is coordinated by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and works with a broad range of other national organizations
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Arizona
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Children’s Action Alliance Amy Kobeta, Vice President, (602) 266-0707 |
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California |
San Diego Center on Policy Initiatives, (619) 584-5744 ext. 34, baxamusa@onlinecpi.org San Jose Working Partnerships USA Jody Meacham, Communications Coordinator, (408) 269-7872, jody@wpusa.org |
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Colorado
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Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute Alec Harris, Policy Analyst, (303) 573-5669 ext. 316, pswanson@cclponline.org The Bell Policy Center Joe Watt, Communications Director, (303) 297-0456, watt@thebell.org |
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Connecticut
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Connecticut Voices for Children Joachim Hero, Research Analyst, (203) 498-4240, jhero@ctkidslink.org |
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Florida
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Center for Labor Research and Studies Emily Eisenhauer, Research Associate, (305) 3481415, emily.eisenhauer@fiu.edu |
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Illinois
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The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability Yerik Kaslow, Research Associate, (312) 332-2151, ykaslow@ctbaonline.org |
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Indiana
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Indiana Institute for Working Families Sarah Allen Downing, Research and Policy Assistant, (317) 638-4232, sdowning@incap.org |
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Maryland
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Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute Neil Bergsman, Director, (443) 438-2317, nbergsman@mdnonprofit.org |
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Minnesota
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JOBS NOW Coalition Kris Jacobs, Executive Director, (651) 290-0240, kjacobs@jobsnowcoalition.org |
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Missouri
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Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition Morgan Brammer, Operations Director, (314) 531-2288, morgan@missouriprovote.org |
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New York
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Fiscal Policy Institute James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist, (212) 721-5624, parrott@fiscalpolicy.org |
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Nevada
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Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Bob Fulkerson, State Director, (775) 348-7557, bfulkerson@planevada.org |
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New Jersey
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New Jersey Policy Perspective Deborah Howlett, President, (609) 393-1145 ext. 18, howlett@njpp.org |
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New Hampshire
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New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute Jeff McLynch, Executive Director, (603) 518-4495 |
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North Carolina
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North Carolina Budget and Tax Center Alexandra Forter Sirota, Policy Analyst, (919) 861-1468, alexandra@ncjustice.org |
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Oklahoma
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Oklahoma Policy Institute David Blatt, Director, (918) 794-3944, dblatt@okpolicy.org |
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Pennsylvania
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Keystone Research Center Mark Price, Labor Economist, (717) 255-7158, price@keystoneresearch.org |
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Texas
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Center for Public Policy Priorities Don Baylor, Senior Policy Analyst, Economic Opportunity, (512) 320-0222 ext. 108, baylor@cppp.org |
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Wisconsin
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Center on Wisconsin Strategy Laura Dresser, Associate Director, (608) 262-6944, ldresser@cows.org |
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Virginia
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The Commonwealth for Fiscal Analysis Patrick Getlein, Communications Director, (804)643-2474, Patrick@thecommonwealthinstitute.org |
Issue Brief: http://www.epi.org/publications/ib278/