African-Americans Hurt Most From Decline in Manufacturing Jobs

Washington, D.C.

African-American workers have been particularly hard hit by the decline in U.S. manufacturing, according to a study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

The center cites the decline in auto employment due to buyouts and layoffs as a key factor in hurting the African-American workforce.

"Manufacturing jobs, particularly unionized jobs in the auto industry, have been an important source of well-paid employment for African-Americans since World War II," the think tank said.

Unionization among black workers also is declining, with only 16 percent of African-Americans holding a union card, compared to 25.3 percent 20 years ago. From 1983 to 2006, unionization rates among whites dropped from 22.2 percent to 13.3 percent.

"The share of U.S. workers in unions continues to fall, but unionization rates for African-Americans have declined more sharply than for the rest of the workforce," said economist John Schmitt.

The share of blacks in manufacturing jobs fell from 23.9 percent in 1979 to 10.1 percent last year, the center reported.