The share of nonworking black men has increased since 2000, with inability to find work being a more likely reason since the Great Recession: Distribution of earners and nonearners by reason, black men ages 25--54, selected years, 1978--2016
| Working | Ill/disabled | Taking care of home/family | Going to school | Could not/unable to find work | Retired | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 88.5% | 6.8% | 0.1% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 0.2% | 2.1% |
| 1979 | 89.4% | 6.9% | 0.1% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| 1980 | 85.1% | 8.3% | 0.1% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| 1988 | 85.9% | 7.1% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 4.0% | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| 1989 | 86.3% | 7.0% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 0.5% | 1.6% |
| 1990 | 86.4% | 7.4% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 1.5% |
| 1994 | 81.1% | 10.7% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 3.8% | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| 1995 | 81.1% | 11.6% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 3.9% | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| 1996 | 82.3% | 10.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 0.2% | 1.7% |
| 1999 | 84.8% | 10.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| 2000 | 83.7% | 10.4% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| 2001 | 83.0% | 10.1% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 2.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| 2006 | 81.0% | 10.4% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 0.7% | 2.1% |
| 2007 | 80.4% | 10.4% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| 2008 | 79.6% | 10.9% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 4.5% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| 2013 | 76.6% | 11.2% | 1.6% | 2.6% | 5.0% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| 2014 | 76.3% | 11.6% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 4.5% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| 2015 | 77.8% | 10.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 3.9% | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| 2016 | 78.9% | 11.4% | 1.7% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 1.1% | 1.9% |
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