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Title: Hard times, worklessness and unemployment in Britain and the USA (1972-2011) 1
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2012
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Abstract: In this paper, we examine the employment situation of disadvantaged social groups in Britain and the USA in the last forty years (1972-2011). Using data from the General Household Survey/Labour Force Survey for Britain and the Current Population Survey for the USA, we find that young people, ethnic minorities and those with low qualifications had poor chances of employment. With particular regard to minority ethnic groups, we find that Blacks always had higher unemployment rates in both countries, followed by Pakistanis-Bangladeshis in Britain and Hispanics in the USA. The disadvantages became much more pronounced at the peak of recessions. The overall disadvantages were more salient in Britain than in the USA, suggesting that the flexible labour market policies adopted by the British government failed to protect the most vulnerable groups and that the affirmative action programmes helped reduce minority ethnic disadvantages in the USA.
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Authors: Li, Yaojun
Publisher: Manchester University
Data Collections: IPUMS CPS
Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other
Countries: United States