Conclusions

Although their occupational levels have risen considerably during thepast 20 years, Negro workers continue to be concentrated in the lessskilled jobs. And it is largely because of this concentration in the ranksof the unskilled and semiskilled, the groups most severely affected byboth economic layoffs and technological changes, that Negroes are alsodisproportionately represented among the unemployed. The recentrecession made this all too clear. But even now Negroes continue toswell the ranks of the unemployed as technological changes eliminatethe unskilled or semiskilled tasks they once performed. Many will bepermanently or chronically unemployed unless some provision is madefor retraining them in the skills required by today's economy. The depressed economic status of Negroes is the product of many forces, including the following:

2022 Discrimination against Negroes in vocational as well as academictraining.

2022 Discrimination against Negroes in apprenticeship training programs.

2022 Discrimination against Negroes by labor organizations2014particularly in the construction and machinists' crafts.

2022 Discrimination against Negroes in referral services rendered byState employment offices.

2022 Discrimination against Negroes in the training and "employment"opportunities offered by the armed services, including the "civiliancomponents."

2022 Discrimination by employers, including Government contractorsand even the Federal Government.

Related to all of these is a basic problem that contributes to the limitedextent and type of Negro employment2014the lack of motivation on thepart of many Negroes to improve their educational and occupationalstatus. Generally, of course, lack of motivation is itself the product oflong-suffered discrimination.

Throughout the Commission study, the vicious circle of discrimination in employment opportunities was clear: The Negro is denied, orfails to apply for, training for jobs in which employment opportunitieshave traditionally been denied him; when jobs do become available,

there are consequently few, if any, qualified Negroes available to fillthem; and often, because of lack of knowledge of such newly openedopportunities, even the few who are qualified fail to apply.

Perpetuation of discriminatory training and employment practices isoften supported by State employment offices. Present methods of determining Federal financial contributions to State offices encouragethe referral of those applicants who are easiest to place and discouragethe "selling" of merit employment. Some public employment officesopenly base referrals on traditional employment practices in the community; the Commission survey revealed several instances of complaintsfrom employers that no Negroes were ever referred for employment unlessthey were specifically requested. Moreover, except in States with enforceable fair employment legislation, Federal policy has permitted theacceptance and processing of discriminatory job orders from all employers other than Government contractors and Federal agencies. Inpractice, some employment offices have accepted and processed discriminatory job orders from the latter as well. The Commission surveyrevealed that, at least in Atlanta, Baltimore, and Detroit, Governmentcontractors relied primarily on State employment offices as a recruitmentsource for most production employees and to a lesser degree for officeclerical employees. Many companies utilize the services of these officesfor testing applicants for employment or for admission into apprenticeship training programs.

In the building and construction trades, the craft unions are the mainsource of recruitment and also largely determine admission into apprenticeship training programs. Here, too, there is a vicious circle ofdiscrimination. Many craft unions formerly denied membership toNegroes; some still do; others admit only a few Negroes. The paucityof Negro members may be based on several factors2014the generallyrestrictive membership policies of the craft unions; the fact that Negroeshave not obtained the training to qualify for membership; and lack ofapplicants. The last two factors are largely the product of past discrimination. A glaring example of the almost ineradicable effects ofyears of denial is the minimal participation of Negroes in apprenticeshiptraining programs in the construction crafts. Many Negroes do nothave the educational background2014generally a high school education2014to qualify for apprenticeship training; others feel it is futile to apply forthe limited number of openings which have traditionally been deniedto them because of their race. Yet without training, Negroes cannothope to qualify for membership in the unions and, without such membership, the chances of obtaining employment in construction crafts2014wherejob opportunities will soon far exceed the number of qualified applicants2014are slight indeed.

It is clear, then, that even if employment opportunities were madeequally available to Negroes, their occupational status would not be

greatly improved. Discrimination in education, training, and referral,whether by employment offices or by labor organizations, must first beovercome.

But the goal of equal employment opportunity is still far from achievement. Efforts of the Federal Government to promote nondiscriminatory employment by Government contractors and Federal agencies havenot generally been effective in overcoming resistance to hiring Negroesin any but the lowest categories. Although opportunities for employment by the Federal Government have increased in recent years, theCommission's nine-city survey disclosed a disproportionate number ofNegroes in the lower Classification Act positions and a concentration ofNegroes in the unskilled Wage Board jobs. Similarly, Commissioninvestigations in Atlanta, Baltimore, and Detroit revealed examples ofracial discrimination in the form of "underemployment," outrightrefusal to employ, and exclusion from company-sponsored training programs by Government contractors.

The limitations on employment opportunities available to Negroesare reflected in their earnings. Thus, where the heads of the familieshave received the same amount of formal education, the median incomeof Negro families is considerably less than that of white families. Astudy by the State of...