The public-sector jobs crisis – Women and African Americans hit hardest by job losses in state and local governments

The public-sector jobs crisisWomen and African Americans hit hardest by job losses in state and local governments – EPI Briefing Paper by Algernon Austin, David Cooper and Mary Gable | May 2, 2012

  • “The Great Recession created tremendous hardship for millions of Americans. One aspect of this recession and its aftermath has been particularly damaging for women and African Americans: the decision by many state and local governments to respond to diminished revenues and budget shortfalls by cutting public-sector jobs. Because women and African Americans have historically been overrepresented in public-sector employment, they have been disproportionately affected by state and local government budget cuts. Since the official end of the recession in June 2009, the private sector has slowly recovered some of the jobs it lost during the downturn, while the public sector has continued shedding jobs at a rapid rate. Indeed, in 2011 state and local governments experienced their worst job decline on record…The disproportionate share of women and African Americans working in state and local government has translated into higher rates of job loss for both groups in these sectors. Between 2007 (before the recession) and 2011, state and local governments shed about 765,000 jobs. Women and African Americans comprised about 70 percent and 20 percent, respectively, of those losses.”
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