Black women in employment and training programs

This article examines the past experience of women-with a focus on black women-in employment and training programs. In spite of the fact that women have been underrepresented in these programs and often steered toward training in “traditionally female” occupations, they exhibit higher postprogram earnings gains than males. Overall, however, the training provided has at best shifted women into low-wage clerical fields with average annual earnings barely above the poverty level. Therefore, these programs-taken alone-can not be expected to have a major impact on an important problem facing blacks: welfare dependency.     

The case for non‐formal vocational education for out‐of‐school youths in rural Malawi

Malawi's literacy rate for people aged 15 years and above is estimated at 48,3 percent. The high level of illiteracy impedes the exchange of information and so also socio‐economic development. The government of Malawi launched the functional literacy programme so that those without formal education could achieve numeracy and literacy and also education for socio‐economic development. The programme has failed to attract the youth, whose major concern is getting a job or self‐employment that would enable them to earn a cash income. It is argued here that literacy education should feed into apprenticeship training and that this would help to alleviate poverty in the country.     

Community economic development: Some critical issues

Community development is an issue of continuing interest not only because of the need for more successful economic development within our cities, but because the survival of a significant portion of African-American poor is at stake. Community development planning seeks to improve all aspects of community life, including health, education, crime prevention, employment and training, business development, family stability, and housing. Community economic development must arise from our black churches, historically black colleges and universities, African-American officials, business leaders, teachers, and health and welfare professionals. In the real world, where group welfare functions are interdependent, only two possible long-term outcomes are both just and stable: win-win or lose-lose. Consequently, there is a need for significant Pareto improvements in all social programs. There are roles for both race-specific and race-neutral policies because long-term Pareto improvements can result both from programs such as targeted minority employment and training as well as color-blind policies that encourage legislators to forgo the coffers of the gun lobby and control the sale and use of guns. The paper will focus on the historical logic of public policy as reflected in housing policy, financing mechanisms under community development corporations, and the issue of an urban underclass. By reestablishing its commitment to the inner cities, the government can redress the onerous impact of two and a half decades of social and economic neglect and private investment re-trenchment.     

Debt to Society: Asset Poverty and Prisoner Reentry

Every year, millions of people exit American jails and prisons and attempt to reintegrate into society. Ex-offenders face many obstacles during the transition. Scholars contend that securing employment is central to a successful transition. A job that allows an ex-offender to earn an income above the poverty line is especially significant, recent studies have shown. Consequently, many prisoner reentry initiatives are focused on expanding employment opportunities for ex-offenders. However, the almost exclusive emphasis on employment as the measurement of economic well-being is short-sighted because it ignores the importance of financial education and asset ownership. Prisoner reentry programs should include an emphasis on financial education in addition to an emphasis on employment as a means of reducing recidivism rates and improving the economic well-being of the ex-offenders and receiving communities. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implications.     

Socio-economic Decline and Adaptation: South Yorkshire's Former Coalfields

Two decades after the year-long miners' strike of 1984/5, this paper presents a contemporary account of the social and economic situation faced by ex-miners in South Yorkshire, uncovering those factors that continue to inhibit new employment and adaptation following the contraction of the coal industry. Forty-one in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with men who had worked in the region's coal mining industry for varying periods of time. The interviews were designed to examine many of the problems that have emerged following deindustrialisation and assess appraisals of retraining provision and prospects for employment. Findings increase understanding of issues endemic to many former pit villages including continuing high levels of localised unemployment and disproportionately high numbers of incapacity benefit claimants. A greater understanding of the reluctance of individuals to adapt, retrain and seek new, alternative employment will lead to more successful methods of dealing with the problems associated with continuing economic inactivity in the region's former coalfield communities and has many important consequences for existing regeneration programmes and employment initiatives.     

Labour market dimensions of poverty in Indonesia

This paper focuses on labour market issues relevant to poverty alleviation. Patterns of participation, unemployment and employment are examined among the poor compared with the non-poor in general, among urban and rural households, and among various socio-demographic groups. Using data from the 2002 National Socio-Economic Survey, the paper finds that low participation in the workforce and high unemployment, while important, are less closely related to poverty status than expected, especially among spouses of household heads. However, sector of employment and underemployment are closely associated with poverty, especially for those in informal jobs in urban areas; in rural areas, the poor are heavily concentrated in agriculture. Among the poor, young people and females are more likely to be underemployed and to work in agriculture than prime-age workers. The data suggest that labour market policies that tend to protect those in formal sector employment are unlikely to reduce poverty much, if at all.     

China's War on Poverty: Assessing Targeting and the Growth Impacts of Poverty Programs

In this paper, we attempt to assess the effectiveness of China's Poverty Alleviation Programs in contributing to economic growth in poor areas. To meet this overall goal, we briefly describe China's poor area policy and examine how its leaders have implemented one of the developing world's largest poverty alleviation programs. Second, we examine whether or not the poverty programs have been implemented in the parts of China that are truly poor. Finally, we attempt to assess if the poverty programs have affected growth. The major findings are that China's poverty programs do get implemented in areas of the nation that are poor, but there are many poor areas that have been left out of the government's various programs. We also find that poverty programs contribute to economic growth and that economic growth promotes poverty reduction.     

Race,job training,and economic development: Barriers to racial equity in program planning

This article examines barriers to implementing government programs designed to redress racial economic exclusion. The authors review the current urban employment environment, and the need for more extensive job training and education programs targeting young African Americans. A case study is presented of the implementation of one such program in Ohio, the High Unemployment Population Program. It demonstrates that the most well designed program can fail if staff charged with implementation are not committed to its goals. In the current racially charged environment of the country, this barrier to implementation is likely to affect many new government programs throughout the 1990s. The article concludes with several recommendations for successful program implementation.     

减少农村贫困,缩小贫富差距

社会和谐是中国特色社会主义的本质属性。农村贫困人口的存在,既遏制了贫困地区经济社会的发展,也拉大了贫富差距和城乡差距,对构建和谐社会是一个极大的障碍。现阶段,我国农村贫困出现了一些新的特征。根据新情况,反贫困措施主要有:一是通过教育和培训,提高贫困人口的质量、增强他们自我发展的能力;二是实现开发式扶贫和救助式扶贫并重;三充分发挥经济政策对消除贫困的作用;四是改变国家扶贫资金的瞄准机制,改革扶贫资金管理体制。     

Federal government policy in black community revitalization

Conclusion Federal programs have represented, at best, a series of ad hoc, piece-meal attempts to address a highly complex situation. Funding levels have been inadequate and there has never been any strong commitment to economic development on a meaningful scale. We have experienced a series of small, unconnected programs. In addition to HUD programs, so-called community development programs can be found at the Departments of Labor, Agriculture, Treasury, and the Economic Development Agency. But after two decades of poverty programs, revitalization efforts, and other efforts Blacks and other low income urban residents still, for the most part, live in substandard, segregated, and costly housing in conditions significantly worse than most other Americans.     

Assessing black progress: employment,occupation, earnings,income, poverty

Farley discusses changes in employment, occupation, earnings, income, and poverty among US blacks. Among black men, there has been a persistent rise in unemployment since 1960. By the early 1980s, 1 black man out of 8 had dropped out of the labor force, compared to 1 in 20 white men. Some contend that many black men lack the skills to be employed or have personal habits and criminal records which make them unacceptable to employers. Others believe that the expansion of federal welfare programs offers attractive alternatives to men who have limited earnings potential. Still others stress that blacks are concentrated within cities, while the growth of employment is occurring in suburbs. Among those blacks over age 54, labor force participation has declined because of improved Social Security benefits, better private pensions, and the greater availability of Supplemental Security Income. The employment of young blacks compared to whites has deteriorated since 1960. For both races, there has been a steady rise in the employment of women. The recent increases, however, have been great for whites. By the early 1980s, white women caught up with black women in terms of employment. Unlike the indicators of employment itself, there is unambiguous evidence that the occupational distribution of employed blacks has been upgraded and is gradually becoming similar to that of whites. Findings from many studies show that blacks once earned much less than similar whites, but this racial difference has declined among men and has nearly disappeared among women. The proportion of blacks impoverished fell sharply in the 1960s, reaching a minimum of 30% in the early 1970s. Since the early 1970s, blacks have made few gains. The proportion impoverished actually increased and the ratio of black-to-white family income declined. The fact that the earnings of black males are no longer rising faster than those of whites and that there is no longer a migration from southern farms to cities plays a role, but changes in family structure are also important. At all dates, poverty rates have been high and income levels low in families headed by women. In 1984, for example, 52% of the black families with a woman as head of household were below the poverty line, compared to 15% of the black married-couple families. While similar trends are occurring in white families, there has been a sharper increase in the proportion of blacks living in these female-maintained families which have high poverty rates.     

China＇s Pattern of Growth： Moving to Sustainability and Reducing Inequality

I. Introduction China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth has averaged 9.4 percent per annum since1978. As a result of this impressive growth, millions of people were lifted out of poverty. Economic reforms implemented over the last 25 years have certainly been instrumental in the remarkable growth performance, leading to higher productivity growth than in the pre- reform period. Nevertheless, it is widely agreed that China’s growth during this period has been resource intensive, drawing…     

低碳城镇化对就业的促进作用及保障体系构建

增强人的生存和发展能力,促进人的全面发展是以人为核心的中国新型城镇化建设的终极目标,实现这个目标的前提就是要保障和实现充分就业。低碳城镇化是新型城镇化的重要内容和必由之路,低碳城镇化对就业的保障应该更具公平性并且按照就近原则来推进。文章认为,在低碳城镇化建设过程中,要促进就业增长和提升就业质量,必须优化产业布局、产业结构与发展模式,扩大就业空间;建立健全劳动力教育培训制度,培养适应低碳产业发展需求的劳动者,提高劳动者就业竞争力;推进城乡劳动力市场一体化建设,提高人力资源利用效率,增强社会就业公平性。     

Training as an instrument to combat poverty and unemployment: A national and international perspective

Unless the South African Government of the day has adopted and is committed to a policy and comprehensive strategy to alleviate poverty, one is bound to conclude that any discussions on the role that training can play in the alleviation of poverty and unemployment would be mostly of an ad hoc nature. Such a policy and strategy should include specific targeted employment and training strategies and should furthermore relate to measurable human development performance indicators on health, life expectancy, education, training, unemployment, human deprivation, income disparities, etc. State interventions in support of training to help alleviate and prevent poverty and unemployment will under such circumstances hopefully be more purposefully targeted to where it will matter most and will also inspire researchers to come up with appropriate answers to ensure maximum benefits to society and the individual.     

经济复苏中的消费扩大与就业促进

国际金融危机爆发后欧美一些国家的负债消费模式正在发生重大改变,我国实现经济全面复苏将更有赖于扩大内需并着眼于消费的全面启动与持续扩大。就业、收入、消费存在着内在的联系,促进就业进而提高劳动者收入应成为未来宏观经济政策的优先选择。应在城乡统筹发展和区域协调发展、支持中小企业发展和个人创业、加大人力资本投资与城乡社会保障体系建设等方面做出努力。     

基于经济增长的新疆减贫效果趋势分析

经济增长和减贫一直是发展中国家和地区制定发展战略所考虑的重点。改革开放初期,新疆通过经济增长极大地降低了农村贫困,经济增长的减贫效果显著;20世纪80年代中后期至2010年,由于经济增长的质量下降和收入不平等程度增加,减贫趋势变缓;2011年以后,随着援疆工作和民生工程的不断推进,高速的经济增长和对贫困人口有利的收入分配对减贫起到了良好的效果,经济增长出现了益贫性特征。纵观改革开放至今,新疆减贫成就的主要原因是经济持续的高速增长、人力资本的明显改善和政府采取的反贫困行动;而其减贫趋势放缓的原因是农村经济增长质量的下降和农村收入分配的不断恶化。为此,本文认为新时期扶贫工作中,新疆应实施益贫式增长战略。从生产领域着手,在增加就业的同时通过增加穷人的资产基础以提高穷人的自我发展能力,而政府在打造民生工程时应注重市场机制,以保持减贫的可持续性。     

Understanding urban poverty in two high-density suburbs of Harare,Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

Urban communities are heterogeneous and averages mask inequities and deprivations among poor and rich urban communities. This article examines the situation of households residing in two low-income, high-density suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe. The aim of the research was to contextualise urban poverty by looking at selected urban communities and vertically analysing the patterns and determinants of poverty. A household survey was administered to 1000 households and qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The study found high levels of income poverty and also found differences in poverty experiences between the two suburbs. The major proximate determinants of poverty were large family size; low education level of the household head; lack of income from permanent employment; low cash transfers; and short length of residence in the suburb. Increasing household income consumption can be addressed through scaling-up industries, which would result in more quality employment.     

生计资本、社会环境与贫困人口务工就业意愿

实现贫困人口务工就业作为脱贫攻坚时期贫困人口脱贫的主要方法,在巩固脱贫攻坚成果时期,同样具有可行性和有效性。因此,研究贫困人口务工就业意愿对巩固脱贫攻坚成果具有重要现实价值。本文从可持续生计和社会学习的角度建立二元Logistics回归模型,分析生计资本与社会环境对贫困人口务工就业意愿的影响。研究发现,在贫困人口的生计资本中,人力资本、社会资本和金融资本是影响贫困人口务工就业意愿的关键资本。同时,在社会环境中,贫困村的务工就业氛围对贫困人口的务工就业意愿呈显著正相关。在巩固脱贫攻坚成果时期,鼓励贫困人口务工就业措施更应聚焦贫困人口的类型特征,以实现政策的精确和高效。     

Return on Investment from Training Programs and Intensive Services

This study includes the likelihood of finding a job and retaining employment as well as eligibility for unemployment benefits to estimate the return on investment (ROI) for both job training and intensive services programs. The augmented ROI for job training programs and intensive job services from California One-Stop Centers are positive. This suggests that these programs do provide benefits. The estimated augmented ROI for individuals enrolled in job training programs and intensive job services are similar. In contrast, traditional approaches that omit important employment characteristics significantly overestimate the ROI. Monte Carlo simulations show that changing program costs affect the augmented ROI for training programs but have minimal impact on the augmented ROI for intensive services.     

Jobs and Freedom Now! Functional Finance, Full Employment, and the Freedom Budget

Forty-five years ago, the A. Philip Randolph Institute issued ??The Freedom Budget,?? in which a program for economic transformation was proposed that included a job guarantee for everyone ready and willing to work, a guaranteed income for those unable to work or those who should not be working, and a living wage to lift the working poor out of poverty. Such policies were supported by a host of scholars, civic leaders, and institutions, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; indeed, they provided the cornerstones for King??s ??Poor Peoples?? Campaign?? and ??economic bill of rights.?? This paper proposes a ??New Freedom Budget?? for full employment based on the principles of functional finance. To counter a major obstacle to such a policy program, the paper includes a ??primer?? on three paradigms for understanding government budget deficits and the national debt: the deficit hawk, deficit dove, and functional finance perspectives. Finally, some of the benefits of the job guarantee are outlined, including the ways in which the program may serve as a vehicle for a variety of social policies.