A recent editorial in the New York Times described a troubling trend of joblessness among young men, especially African-American men, in urban areas. According to a report cited in the piece, 30% of black men aged 20-24 in New York City and Los Angeles were not in school and not working in 2014.
While certainly concerning, this is not new. Dr. Ronald Mincy of Columbia University highlighted this issue in his 2006 book, Black Men Left Behind. He argued that millions of young black men were being left outside the fabrics of American society – work and married life. He wrote that “nearly half (46.2 percent) of less-educated non-enrolled [in school] young black men reported no earnings in 2001.”
Today, too many young black men still fit this profile. But the New York Times editorial board’s suggestion that subsidized jobs are the answer (like those implemented as part of the American Recovery Act) misreads the evidence and risks shifting focus (and resources) away from proven community-based approaches.
Twenty20.
In reality, few subsidized jobs programs have shown lasting positive impacts on employment and earnings. Nationally recognized research-firm MDRC studied six subsidized jobs programs in the late 2000s and none were found to increase unsubsidized employment or earnings when compared to a control group. A large federal evaluation of 13 subsidized jobs programs is currently ongoing, but preliminary results are not expected until later this year.
A study by the Economic Mobility Corporation examining 5 subsidized jobs programs was cited by the New York Times as evidence that these programs work. Impacts were only studied for one program in Florida because it was the only site that offered a comparison group of non-participants. They found small, but significant gains in employment and earnings for those who worked in a subsidized job compared to those who were eligible for the program but did not find a subsidized job.
The study has problems that may overstate the results (for example, the group who got hired into a subsidized job was compared to a group who did not get hired, suggesting the hired group was more advantaged). But even if the results are true, they do not suggest that subsidized jobs are the answer for young disconnected men.
The Florida program, as with other programs that show positive results, served job-ready and mostly job-experienced people, which many inner-city young men are not. The vast majority of participants in the Florida program (94%) had at least a high school diploma, and they had to be hired into the subsidized job by a private employer, suggesting that they could at least get through an interview.
Instead of subsidized jobs, a better approach is to help these young men become employable.
In a study of subsidized jobs that I was involved with at the New York City Department of Social Services in 2013, we found that less than half of people assigned to a group eligible for subsidized jobs actually got hired by a private employer, even though plenty of subsidized jobs were available. It became clear that even at no cost to an employer, many people were unemployable.
Instead of subsidized jobs, a better approach is to help these young men become employable. That means teaching them workplace norms and soft skills. The Center for Urban Families in Baltimore, led by Joseph Jones, offers a proven approach. Operating for 15 years, the Center for Urban Families’ mission is “to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success.” Responsible fatherhood programs, workforce development, and support services are provided to help disconnected men enter the labor market, sustain employment, and become responsible fathers. (A nice profile was published by CNN in 2013)
Encouraging Congress to pass a large and expensive subsidized jobs program is an overly simplistic answer to a very complex problem, which evidence suggests likely won’t have much impact. Instead, Congress should find ways to support community-based efforts that help young disconnected men value legitimate employment, as well as teach them the skills they need to be good employees. Unlike a short-lived subsidized job, building these basic skills will better help young men contribute to themselves, their families, and their communities.
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