Black unemployment in July 21 Left Business Observer

Mathew Forstater forstate at levy.org
Sun Aug 9 16:38:27 PDT 1998


There is both inter-class and intra-class competition. Both are important to recognize and analyze.

Of course the pie doesn't have to be fixed. But as long as there is politically-enforced unemployment to discipline workers and supposedly prevent inflation, than the fact is that if overnight wages and employment rates were readjusted to correct for the impact of racism, millions of white workers would find themselves with lower wages and without jobs.

But if one wants to do political work to promote a better system, isn't one better prepared if one understands this rather than approaching things as though all white workers are "hurt" by discrimination (Michael Reich)?

Mat

michael perelman wrote:


> Let me begin by saying that I have not read the piece. Mail service to
> California might be very slow -- Hey, where is it?
>
> The question of black unemployment raises an obvious point. Whites commonly
> think that blacks take their job. An enormous number of rejected white job
> applicants think that they lost their job because of affirmative action.
>
> In effect, the blacks are represented disproportionately in the reserve army
> of the unemployed. When black unemployment is high, so is white
> unemployment; hence little downward pressure on wages until the reserve army
> becomes too depleted.
>
> The fact that we distinguish between black and white employment reflects the
> reality that many workers see their situation in terms of conflict between
> black and white instead of capital versus labor. If the races were more
> united, then we would not be speaking as other posters have been about a
> fixed wage pie -- or should we say wages fund?
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
>
> Tel. 530-898-5321
> E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu



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