Working Paper: NBER ID: w0751
Authors: Richard B. Freeman
Abstract: One of the most important questions regarding black economic gains post-1964 is whether they are permanent or transitory. This study examines the relative economic progress of black cohorts and of individual black workers in longitudinal samples to evaluate the permanence of changes. It finds that the preponderance of evidence runs against the proposition that the post-1964 advances have bS2- transitory or illusory. Measured by earnings of workers and occupational attainment, blacks have continued to make significant progress in the 1970s. Measured by the increase in earnings of specific cohorts, black gains did not dissipate due to slow growth of earnings.
Keywords: Black labor market gains; Economic progress; Civil rights; Longitudinal analysis
JEL Codes: J15; J31; J71
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Advances made by black workers in terms of earnings and occupational attainment are not transitory (J79) | Economic progress of black workers post-1964 (J79) |
| Increase in earnings among specific cohorts did not dissipate despite sluggish economic conditions of the 1970s (J31) | Economic progress of black workers post-1964 (J79) |
| Cohort data suggests younger cohorts may not maintain the same wage increases as older cohorts (J39) | Economic progress of black workers post-1964 (J79) |
| Regression analyses support claims of improvements in black workers' earnings relative to whites (J79) | Economic progress of black workers post-1964 (J79) |