1. Economic Policy Institute
Transportation Infrastructure and
Good Jobs for Black Men
Algernon Austin
Congressional Briefing
Transporting Black Men to Good Jobs
Transportation Infrastructure, Transportation Jobs, and Public Transit
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
8:30 - 10:00 am
Rayburn House Office Building - Gold Room (2168)

2. Top ten metropolitan areas with the
highest black male unemployment rates,
July 2009 to May 2012
30.0%
24.6% Black male White male
25.0%
22.0% 21.6% 21.6% 20.9%
19.8% 19.6%
20.0% 18.7% 18.6% 18.0%
15.0% 13.5%
13.0%
10.2% 10.6%
10.0% 8.8% 9.0%
8.2% 7.7%
7.5%
6.2%
5.0%
0.0%
Source: Author's estimates based on Current Population Survey and Local Area Unemployment Statistics data from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics.
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 2

3. Share of male 16-to-64 year-old population in
construction, manufacturing, and
transportation industries, 2005-2007
(ACS estimates)
14.0%
13.1%
12.2%
12.0%
10.3% 10.1%
10.0% 9.3%
8.0%
6.7%
6.0%
4.9% 4.7% 4.4%
4.0%
White
2.0%
Black
All
0.0%
Construction Manufacturing Transportation
Source: Author's analysis of American Community Survey data from Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken,
Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]
(Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2010).
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 3

4. Estimated number of black male job
losses from 2007 to 2011
0
Construction Manufacturing Transportation and Utilities
-50,000
-100,000
-150,000
-134,000
-150,000
-200,000
-198,000
-250,000
Source: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 4

5. ASCE Transportation Infrastructure
Grades, 2009
Aviation: D
Bridges: C
Rail: C-
Roads: D-
Transit: D
Source: http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 5

6. Estimated share of African-American jobs in
different transportation infrastructure
investment plans
16%
14%
14%
13%
12%
11%
10%
9%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
SAFETEA-LU T4A Transit-Plus FTA Transit Backlog AA Transportion Action
Source: Economic Policy Institute Plan
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 6

7. FTA Transit Backlog Jobs
• 74% male
• 16% less than high school diploma
• 39% high school diploma
• 28% some college
• 17% bachelor’s degree or higher
Source: Ethan Pollack and Rebecca Theiss, Impact of Alternate Public Transit and Rail Investment Scenarios on the Labor
Market, Issue Brief #285 (Wasington D.C.: Economic Policy Institute, 2010).
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 7

8. Wage distribution by quintiles of FTA
Transit Backlog jobs
30%
25% 24%
23%
21%
20%
17%
15%
15%
10%
"Very "Low "Medium "High "Very
Low Wage" Wage" Wage" High
5%
Wage" Wage"
0%
Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest
Source: Ethan Pollack and Rebecca Thiess, Impact of Alternate Public Transit and Rail Investment Scenarios on the Labor Market, Issue Brief #285
(Washington D.C.: Economic Policy Institute, 2010).
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 8

9. Benefits of Transportation
Infrastructure Investments for Black
Men
• Depending on the type of investments, black men
can get a significant share of the jobs created.
• Most of the jobs pay well.
• Transportation infrastructure investments in
public transit can lead to the creation of
transportation jobs which can also benefit black
men.
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 9

10. Benefits of Transportation
Infrastructure Investments for Black
Men (continued)
• Good public transit systems can increase the
access to jobs of black males who lack private
vehicles.
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 10

11. More information at www.epi.org
aaustin@epi.org
September 26, 2012 www.epi.org 11