Preparing Blacks and Latinx for Workforce 2000: Unfulfilled Promises and Lost Opportunities

Abstract

In the mid-1980s, economists made predictions about what the workforce would look like in the 21st century and the implications for employees and employers. For example, it was predicted that due to demographic shifts in the overall population, blacks and Latinx would represent a large share of the new entrants into the workforce. The primary purpose of this article is to examine whether the economic forecasts for workforce 2000 were accurate. The findings of this study suggest economic forecasting was inaccurate and that public and private sectors failed to prepare blacks and Latinx for the modern economy.

Keywords

black employment skills mismatch perpetuating inequality

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