Occupations - African-americans And Jobs

Few noticeable changes have occurred in the occupational situations of African-Americans since the 1990s. In 2002 African-Americans accounted for 10.9 percent of the civilian labor force age sixteen and over. Of the entire employed population of African Americans, 22.7 percent held managerial and professional positions, compared to 31.9 percent of employed white Americans. Only 26.3 percent of all employed African-American women and 18.6 percent of African-American men were managers and professionals, compared to 34.8 percent of employed white women and 29.5 percent of white men. (See Table 4.1.)

African-Americans are nearly twice as likely to work in service occupations. In 2002 some 22.7 percent of African-Americans worked in service occupations, compared to 12.8 percent of white Americans. (See Table 4.1.) Any growth in professional employment has generally occurred in fields at the lower end of the earnings scale—particularly among social and recreational workers, engineering and science technicians, vocational and educational counselors, practical nurses, and health technologists. These were the same jobs held by large numbers of African-American workers in the early 1990s.

In 2002 the largest percentage of African-American workers (28.2 percent) worked in the field of technical, sales, and administrative support, followed by managers and professionals, and the service occupations category, both with 22.7 percent. Approximately 17.9 percent of this demographic were operators, fabricators, and laborers—primarily lower-wage occupations. Only 7.3 percent worked in precision production, craft, and repair—generally higher-wage technical occupations. (See Table 4.1.)

In 2002, in professional and managerial jobs, African-Americans made up 13 percent of officials and administrators in public administration. African-Americans comprised 14.4 percent of inspectors and compliance officers, except in construction. (See Table 4.2.) In professional specialty jobs, African-Americans made up 18.7 percent of dietitians and 16.9 percent of educational and vocational counselors.

In occupations involving technical, sales, and administrative support, African-Americans made up 20.6 percent of licensed practical nurses, and 19.4 percent of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians. African-Americans working in personal service occupations made up 29 percent of barbers and 20.7 percent of welfare service aides. In private household service occupations, African-Americans made up 13.6 percent of cleaners and servants. (See Table 4.2.)

Only 5 percent of all physicians, 7.3 percent of all mathematical and computer scientists, 4.5 percent of engineers, and 4.6 percent of lawyers were African-American. About 6.2 percent of economists, 5.4 percent of college/university professors, and 5.1 percent of technical writers were African-American. (See Table 4.2.)