Working Paper: NBER ID: w11090
Authors: Derek Neal
Abstract: All data sources indicate that black-white skill gaps diminished over most of the 20th century, but black-white skill gaps as measured by test scores among youth and educational attainment among young adults have remained constant or increased in absolute value since the late 1980s. I examine the potential importance of discrimination against skilled black workers, changes in black family structures, changes in black household incomes, black-white differences in parenting norms, and education policy as factors that may contribute to the recent stability of black-white skill gaps. Absent changes in public policy or the economy that facilitate investment in black children, best case scenarios suggest that even approximate black-white skill parity is not possible before 2050, and equally plausible scenarios imply that the black-white skill gap will remain quite significant throughout the 21st century.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: J0; J1; J7
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Discrimination against skilled black workers (J79) | Black-white skill gap (J79) |
| Changes in family structure and income among black families (J12) | Investments in children's education and skills (J24) |
| Investments in children's education and skills (J24) | Black-white skill gap (J79) |
| Current wealth differences between black and white parents (I24) | Investments in children's education and skills (J24) |
| Systemic barriers (I24) | Skill development (J24) |