Growth in the share of prime-age black men who are nonearners is concentrated among those without a college degree: Share of black male adults ages 25--54 who are nonearners, by education, 1979–2016
| Less than high school | High school | Some college | College degree | Advanced degree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 17.1% | 6.4% | 8.9% | 5.0% | 0.8% |
| 1980 | 20.0% | 12.5% | 13.0% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 1981 | 18.6% | 13.9% | 10.4% | 6.6% | 2.7% |
| 1982 | 26.3% | 15.6% | 12.2% | 10.6% | 1.4% |
| 1983 | 29.9% | 15.8% | 10.2% | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| 1984 | 26.5% | 13.2% | 11.1% | 7.1% | 4.3% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | 10.7% | 9.2% | 6.5% | 4.2% |
| 1986 | 24.4% | 12.5% | 9.7% | 5.7% | 2.2% |
| 1987 | 25.2% | 11.1% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 10.0% |
| 1988 | 26.2% | 13.4% | 6.6% | 4.1% | 8.4% |
| 1989 | 28.6% | 11.9% | 7.8% | 2.4% | 5.5% |
| 1990 | 26.4% | 12.2% | 9.4% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| 1991 | 29.5% | 15.7% | 10.4% | 2.9% | 9.5% |
| 1992 | 32.6% | 16.8% | 9.8% | 4.4% | 3.5% |
| 1993 | 36.9% | 18.1% | 14.4% | 8.1% | 0.8% |
| 1994 | 39.6% | 19.1% | 10.7% | 9.4% | 3.5% |
| 1995 | 37.3% | 19.3% | 12.3% | 7.7% | 1.9% |
| 1996 | 35.9% | 17.7% | 11.2% | 7.3% | 1.6% |
| 1997 | 34.0% | 17.6% | 10.4% | 5.7% | 4.5% |
| 1998 | 35.5% | 15.9% | 10.7% | 8.3% | 4.1% |
| 1999 | 35.3% | 15.5% | 11.8% | 4.1% | 9.4% |
| 2000 | 34.2% | 18.3% | 10.9% | 5.7% | 4.8% |
| 2001 | 37.3% | 18.6% | 11.3% | 7.4% | 5.5% |
| 2002 | 38.2% | 20.8% | 14.2% | 8.5% | 8.7% |
| 2003 | 43.2% | 22.9% | 16.6% | 7.6% | 7.9% |
| 2004 | 31.5% | 22.3% | 14.3% | 7.7% | 4.0% |
| 2005 | 41.5% | 22.1% | 12.9% | 9.7% | 4.5% |
| 2006 | 39.7% | 23.0% | 11.9% | 7.8% | 6.0% |
| 2007 | 38.1% | 24.4% | 12.4% | 7.1% | 9.1% |
| 2008 | 43.6% | 23.4% | 15.7% | 6.8% | 6.5% |
| 2009 | 47.8% | 27.9% | 20.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% |
| 2010 | 50.8% | 30.2% | 20.8% | 13.9% | 9.7% |
| 2011 | 50.6% | 29.3% | 20.0% | 13.2% | 15.2% |
| 2012 | 52.9% | 28.1% | 16.7% | 12.6% | 7.0% |
| 2013 | 41.5% | 30.8% | 19.8% | 8.3% | 5.1% |
| 2014 | 49.8% | 30.5% | 18.7% | 8.5% | 8.3% |
| 2015 | 43.8% | 28.7% | 17.2% | 8.7% | 8.9% |
| 2016 | 49.1% | 25.3% | 17.4% | 9.5% | 7.5% |
Notes: Nonearners are those who reported that they did not work any hours or earn any wages over the course of an entire year. Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: Authors’ analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata