Asian American employees in the United States have the lowest unemployment rate of any ethnic or racial group in the country. As a matter of fact, Asian Americans are more likely than other workers to be unemployed for a long period of time.
In 2021, the median duration of unemployment for Asian Americans was 21.9 weeks – greater than any other population recorded by the Labor Department.
When compared to other ethnic or racial groups in the US, Asian-American employees have one of the lowest rates of unemployment.
Aggregated and topline metrics fail to portray the diverse experiences of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the labor market.
What did Carmen Sanchez Cumming for Equitable Growth remark?
Carmen Sanchez Cumming, a senior research assistant at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, remarked, “Asian American employees’ labor market data frequently reflect stronger conditions than for the average worker.”. The distribution of resources is affected because of the vast differences in wealth.
As of April, Asian American employees in the United States were unemployed at a rate of 3.1%, according to the Labor Dept. The total U.S. unemployment rate is 3.6%, while the white unemployment rate is 3.2%. There are no monthly metrics available for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As a matter of fact, Asian Americans are more likely than other workers to be unemployed for a long period of time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Asian Americans had the longest median term of unemployment in 2021 at 21.9 weeks. The typical time spent without work was 26.1 weeks for Asian men, according to the survey.
When compared to other ethnic groups, Asian Americans have higher rates of unemployment
There were 46.2 weeks of joblessness among Asian men last month, while Asian women were unemployed for 33.9 weeks, Equitable Growth reported.
More time spent unemployed increases the difficulty of regaining a job, and if a person is able to get back to work, it’s usually at a lesser income.
In addition, a study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had a more difficult time finding work after being unemployed for a period of time. Long-term unemployment persists even after correcting for variables like age and educational attainment (if applicable).
Once demographic considerations are taken into account, “if you still have a lower transition rate for a given group of employees, we will basically attribute that to labor market stereotype or discrimination,” said Julie Cai of CEPR, an economist. CEPR’s analysis found that in the first quarter of 2022, AAPI women were the least likely to get a job after being out of work compared to AAPI men, Black, white and Hispanic individuals.
Employees who have been out of work for an extended period of time
According to Sanchez Cumming, research from prior recessions reveals certain characteristics also influence the problems Asian employees in the United States encounter while attempting to resume employment. The majority of Asian American workers were born outside of the United States. Non-native English speakers face additional challenges in the job market due to issues with visa requirements. As a result, those who study abroad are likewise punished.
Read More: Demand for Us Unemployment Benefits Has Risen to 2,18,000 Claims Weekly
Economists also point out the wide differences in the job market within the larger AANHPI group. According to the Pew Research Center, Asian Americans have the nation’s highest level of income inequality within their own ethnic group.
Different subgroups of the AANHPI are concentrated in low-wage jobs and higher-wage jobs. There are a cultural, immigrant, and generational wealth gaps as well as overlapping gender, racial and ethnic biases driving this dynamic,” Lauren Hoffman, an associate director for women’s economic security with the Women’s Initiative at American Progress said.
Hoffman’s analysis indicated that in 2020, Nepali women earned 46 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic males, whereas Taiwanese women earned $1.20 for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
“It’s pretty crucial and pivotal to disaggregate or to try to understand better how the subgroups within this population behave in terms of labor market outcomes,” Cai added.
“The only way we’re going to be able to have comprehensive, wide policy solutions for these concerns” is through disaggregation, according to Hoffman.
For more updates, keep visiting Pelham Plus