Blacks and Whites See Things Differently

How serious a problem is racism in the United States? It depends on who you ask. 

Overall, only 30 percent of adults say racism is an "extremely serious" problem, according to an AP-NORC survey fielded April 29-May 3. The 60 percent majority of Blacks say racism is an extremely serious problem. Only 23 percent of whites feel the same way.

For many whites, racism is no big deal. Take a look...

How serious a problem do you think racism is in the United States?

	Blacks	Whites
Extremely	60%	23%
Very	24	28
Moderately	13	29
Not too/not at all	4	20

Another question on the AP-NORC survey asks, "How serious a problem do you think police violence against the public is in the United States?" While 76 percent of Blacks think police violence against the public is a very/extremely serious problem, only 36 percent of whites agree. Whites are more likely to think violence against the police is the bigger problem, with 47 percent feeling that way. 

Source: AP-NORC, George Floyd's Death: One Year Later

College Enrollment Rate Dropped in 2020

The college enrollment rate dropped in 2020. Only 62.7 percent of young adults who graduated from high school in 2020 had enrolled in college by October of that year, down from 66.2 percent in 2019. The decline "reflects the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic," the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Black high school graduates were the only ones whose college enrollment rate increased in 2020. 

College enrollment rate, 2020 (and percentage point change 2019—20)

Total: 62.7% (-3.5)

Asians: 83.2% (-6.7)

Blacks: 56.6% (+5.9)

Hispanics: 56.2% (-7.2)

Whites: 62.9% (-4.0)

Note: The college enrollment rate is defined as the percentage of 2020 high school graduates aged 16 to 24 who had enrolled in college by October of that year. The white race category includes Hispanics who identify themselves as white, which most do. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 62.7 Percent of 2020 High School Graduates Enrolled in College, down from 66.2 Percent in 2019

Family Unemployment Doubled between 2019 and 2020

Every year the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues a report on the employment characteristics of families. The most recent report, with annual averages for 2020, compares family employment during the coronavirus pandemic with the 2019 numbers. The data come from the Current Population Survey, which defines families as two or more people who live together and are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. 

The share of families with at least one unemployed member doubled between 2019 and 2020—rising from 4.9 to 9.8 percent—as the pandemic upended the job market. Hispanic families were most likely to have a family member unemployed in 2020 (14.3 percent), while white families were least likely (9.0 percent)...

Families with at least one family member unemployed in 2020 (and 2019)

Total families: 9.8% (4.9%)

Asian families: 10.9% (4.0%)

Black families: 13.4% (8.0%)

Hispanic families: 14.3% (6.6%)

White families: 9.0% (4.5%)

Note: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has long refused to distinguish non-Hispanic whites from the total white population in its data releases. Consequently, the white statistics shown here also include Hispanics who identify their race as white, which most do. It is likely that unemployment in families headed by non-Hispanic whites is even lower than the white data presented above. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families—2020

Who Has It Worse: Blacks or Whites?

"It is a lot more difficult to be a Black person in this country than it is to be a White person." Agree or disagree? Overall, just 44 percent of registered voters in the U.S. agree that it is a lot more difficult to be Black, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Another 32 percent say it is a little more difficult, and 23 percent say it is no more difficult. Of course, there are huge differences in opinion by demographic characteristic and political party identification. 

Let's start with race. Among Blacks, fully 81 percent say it is a lot more difficult to be Black than White. Among non-Hispanic whites, just 36 percent feel that way—a gap of 45 percentage points. That's not the biggest attitudinal gap, however. The biggest gap is between Biden and Trump supporters. Among Biden supporters, the 74 percent majority say it is a lot more difficult to be Black. Among Trump supporters, only 9 percent agree—a gap of 65 percentage points. 

Percent of registered voters who think it is a lot more difficult to be Black than White, by generation, 2020 (and 2016)
Millennials: 55% (40%)

Gen Xers: 44% (36%)

Boomers: 37% (32%)

Older Americans: 39% (33%)

Compared with 2016, every generation in 2020 is more likely to think it is a lot harder to be Black than White.  

Source: Pew Research Center, Voters' Attitudes about Race and Gender Are Even More Divided than in 2016

Summer Protests Are Changing (Some) Minds

The summer of protests has moved the needle, but not for everyone. The percentage of Americans who say recent police killings of Black men are just isolated incidents fell to 42 percent in June 2020, down from the 53 percent majority who dismissed such killings in 2015, according to a PRRI survey.

By race, there are still big differences in attitudes. But the gap is narrowing. In June 2020, 50 percent of whites said the killings were isolated incidents, down from 65 percent who felt that way in 2015. Among Blacks, only 16 percent think the killings are isolated incidents, little changed from 2015.

PRRI took a closer look at white attitudes toward racial justice, revealing a stark and growing polarization by political ideology. Here are white responses to four questions in June 2020 by political party identification (and percentage point change since 2015)...

Recent police killings of unarmed Black men are isolated incidents (percent agree)
White Democrats: 19% (-24)
White Republicans: 81% (-4)

Generations of slavery and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Black Americans to work their way out of the lower class (percent disagree)
White Democrats: 24% (-19)
White Republicans: 81% (+2)

The Confederate flag is more of a symbol of Southern pride than of racism (percent agree)
White Democrats: 21% (-21)
White Republicans: 85% (+6)

Monuments to Confederates are more symbols of southern pride than of racism (percent agree)
White Democrats: 31% (-18)
White Republican: 93% (+6)

Source: PRRI, Summer Unrest over Racial Injustice Moves the Country, But Not Republicans or White Evangelicals

Why Is the White Working Class Declining?

The white working class is shrinking, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The question is why. The St. Louis Fed analysis defines the white working class as non-Hispanic whites without a four-year college degree. The number of working class whites peaked in the early 1990s and has been declining in most years ever since. At the same time, every other major group in society—Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites with a college degree—has been growing. Working class whites accounted for the majority of the population until 2004. Today, they are a minority nationally, in three out of four regions, and in seven states.

What is the cause of the decline in the white working class? In the Fed analysis, the researchers looked at two potential causes. First, they examined the rise in "deaths of despair," which are deaths due to suicide, alcohol, or drugs. While the death rate from these causes has tripled among the white working class in recent years, these deaths explain less than 1 percent of the decline in working class whites, according to the calculations.

Then the researchers examined educational attainment. Bullseye! The number of non-Hispanic whites with a four-year college degree tripled between 1976 and 2019. The surge in educational attainment is resulting in a loss of about 1 million working class whites each year and explains most of the decline.

"To the extent that the decline of the white working-class population in recent years is due to rising college degree attainment, this population change can be viewed positively," the researchers conclude.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, The White Working Class: Declining Mostly Due to Rising College Attainment

High School Dropout Rate: 5.4%

Among the nation's 16-to-24-year-olds, 5.4 percent are high school dropouts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The NCES defines dropouts as those who are not enrolled in school and do not have a high school credential.

The high school dropout rate varies by race, Hispanic origin, and ethnicity. Here are the rates for selected groups in 2017, from highest to lowest...

Percent of 16-to-24-year-olds not enrolled in school and without a high school credential, 2017
Alaskan Native: 15.1%
American Indian: 9.6%
Hispanic: 8.2%
  Puerto Rican: 9.3%
  Mexican: 7.9%
  Dominican: 7.0%
  Cuban: 6.6%
Black: 6.5%
Non-Hispanic White: 4.3%
Asian: 2.1%
  Filipino: 2.0%
  Vietnamese: 1.9%
  Korean: 1.6%
  Chinese: 1.1%

Among Hispanics, the dropout rate differs depending on whether the young adult is native- or foreign-born. The dropout rate is just 6.3 percent for those born in the United States. Among the foreign-born, the dropout rate is a much higher 15.2 percent.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates  in the United States: 2019

White Working Class Is in Decline

The white working class is declining not only as a share of the total U.S. population but also in absolute numbers, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis analysis.

Today, only 40 percent of Americans aged 25 or older are white working class (defined as non-Hispanic Whites aged 25 or older without a four-year college degree). This is much lower than the 71 percent share of the population this group accounted for in 1975. During the past four-plus decades, the nonwhite working class (Hispanics, Blacks, and other minorities without a four-year degree) and non-Hispanic White college graduates have been growing. Each of these groups is now 25 percent of the population, up from 15 and 12 percent in 1975, respectively. The remaining 10 percent of the population is accounted for by nonwhites with a four-year college degree, up from 1 percent in 1975.

Social and demographic change explains the decline of the white working class—the growing share of non-Hispanic Whites who are earning a college degree and the rapid growth of minority populations relative to the non-Hispanic White population. "Whatever the cause," conclude the researchers, "the decline of this group will undoubtedly continue to have lasting economic and social consequences for the U.S."

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, The White Working Class: National Trends, Then and Now

Feelings of Discrimination Linked to Income

Feelings of perceived discrimination are linked to income for both whites and blacks, according to an analysis of survey data by Ana Hernåndez Kent of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Examining data from two surveys—the American Identity and Representation Survey (Resource Center for Minority Data) and the Americans' Changing Lives survey (National Institute on Aging), Kent compared the household incomes of whites and blacks after controlling for feelings of racial discrimination. While her analysis confirmed the fact that whites typically have higher household incomes than blacks, the within-race income comparisons offered some surprises...

• Whites who thought they had been discriminated against because of their race had a lower household income than whites who did not feel discriminated against, according to the results of the American Identity Survey. In fact, the "whites who did feel they were discriminated against had a median range of household income equivalent to the typical black who also felt discrimination," reports Kent. But the second survey—Changing Lives—showed no difference in the household incomes of whites based on perceived discrimination.
• The black pattern was different. "The pattern of results for blacks in both surveys turned these findings on their head," says Kent. "Blacks who felt they were discriminated against because of their race actually had higher median incomes than blacks who didn't feel racial bias."

"Looking at only blacks, felt discrimination appears to be related to improved financial outcomes," Kent concludes.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Perceived Bias and Income Patterns Differ by Race

Most Whites Do Not Perceive Local Discrimination

When Americans are asked whether Blacks in their community are treated less fairly than Whites, attitudes are strikingly different depending on whether the respondent is Black or White, according to a Gallup survey. The majority of Blacks think Blacks are treated less fairly than Whites in a variety of local situations. Few Whites agree or perhaps are unaware of local problems. Here are the percentages who Blacks and Whites who think Blacks are treated less fairly than Whites in their community by type of situation...

Dealing with police, such as traffic incidents
Blacks: 77%
Whites: 45%

On the job or at work
Blacks: 60%
Whites: 22%

In stores downtown or the shopping mall
Blacks: 59%
Whites: 25%

In restaurants, bars, theaters or other entertainment places
Blacks: 50%
Whites: 22%

In getting healthcare from doctors and hospitals
Blacks: 49%
Whites: 17%

In neighborhood shops
Blacks: 48%
Whites: 22%

Source: Gallup, Americans Less Satisfied with Treatment of Minority Groups

College Graduation Rates at Four-Year Schools

Many students who enroll at a four-year college fail to earn their bachelor's degree, according to the latest figures from the National Center for Education Statistics. Among full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's degree at four-year schools beginning in 2011, only 60.4 percent earned the degree within six years at that institution. Here are the percentages by race and Hispanic origin...

Percent of 2011 cohort completing bachelor's degree within 6 years
39.8% of Blacks
55.0% of Hispanics
64.3% of Whites
74.1% of Asians

Graduation rates within six years are above average at private, nonprofit schools (66 percent), about average at public schools (60 percent), and far below average at for-profit private schools (just 21 percent).

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Graduation Rates for Selected Cohorts, 2009–14; Outcome Measures for Cohort Year 2009–10; Student Financial Aid, Academic Year 2015–17; and Admissions in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2017

What's Wrong with the White Working Class?

When the white working class sneezes, America catches a cold. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis examines what may be ailing America in an analysis of trends in the wellbeing of this largest segment of Americans. It defines the white working class as households headed by non-Hispanic Whites without a four-year college degree. The white working class accounts for the 42 percent plurality of the nation's households. Another 26 percent are headed by whites with a college degree and 32 percent are headed by Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities.

Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, researchers at the Fed analyzed trends in the socioeconomic wellbeing of the white working class, comparing its experience over the past few decades to that of college educated whites and to nonwhites. Relative to the other segments, the white working class has declined...

• The share of income accruing to the white working class fell from 45 percent in 1989 to 27 percent in 2016. Meanwhile, the share of income accruing to college educated whites and to nonwhites increased. 
• The share of wealth accruing to the white working class fell from 45 percent in 1989 to 22 percent in 2016. At the same time the share of wealth accruing to college educated whites and to nonwhites increased. 
• The median household income and median net worth of white working class households has fallen relative to the national medians, and their homeownership rate, marriage rate, and self-reported health status also have deteriorated.

These declines may be "the result of circumstances unique to the white working class," say the researchers. The circumstances include: 1) rising high school graduation rates for Blacks and Hispanics, which has increased the competition with nonwhites for jobs; 2) less racial and ethnic discrimination in the labor market, which has increased the competition with nonwhites for jobs; and 3) globalization, which has reduced job opportunities.

"The long-term decline of the white working class may be due, in part, to the reduction over time of their previous advantages over nonwhite working classes," the study concludes.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall: The Decline of the White Working Class

Work Life Expectancy at Age 50

How many years of work life remain for men and women at age 50? That depends on their educational attainment, according to a study published in Demography. Those with a college degree have a significantly longer work life expectancy than those with no more than a high school diploma, the researchers found. For Black men, having a college degree more than doubles their work life expectancy at age 50. Here are the results by highest level of education...

Black men
High school diploma: 8.2 years
College degree: 17.6 years

Black women
High school diploma: 9.9 years
College degree: 10.3 years

Hispanic men
High school diploma: 11.0 years
College degree: 14.3 years

Hispanic women
High school diploma: 11.2 years
College degree: 12.9 years

Non-Hispanic white men
High school diploma: 13.2 years
College degree: 16.3 years

Non-Hispanic white women
High school diploma: 11.5 years
College degree: 14.4 years

Some of the difference in work life expectancy by education is due to higher mortality rates among the less educated, say the researchers. But most is "attributable to weaker labor force attachment among the less-educated."

Source: Demography, Working Life Expectancy at Age 50 in the United States and the Impact of the Great Recession

The Disgruntled White Working Class

When asked whether America's best days are ahead of us or behind us, a substantial 47 percent of working-class whites (defined as those without a college degree) say our best days are behind us. A much smaller 28 percent of college-educated whites feel the same, according to a Kaiser/CNN poll. But working-class whites are no monolith, the survey finds. The percentage of working-class whites who think America's best days are behind us varies greatly by demographic characteristic...

Working-class whites who think America's best days are behind us
61% of Evangelical Christians
59% of Republicans
58% of rural residents
47% of suburban residents
42% of those with no religion
41% of urban residents
25% of Democrats

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation/CNN Working-Class Whites Poll

Prescription Painkiller Abuse: The Personal Connection

Most Americans have a personal connection to prescription painkiller abuse, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey. The 56 percent majority of Americans say they 1) personally know someone who has taken a prescription painkiller not prescribed to them; and/or 2) personally know someone who has been addicted to prescription painkillers, and/or 3) personally know someone who died from a prescription painkiller overdose.

The demographic segments most likely to have a personal connection to prescription painkillers are Whites, those with a household income of $90,000 or more, adults under age 50, those with some college, college graduates, suburban residents, and men.

The demographic segments least likely to have a personal connection to prescription painkillers are Hispanics, people aged 65 or older, Blacks, those with a high school diploma or less education, urban residents, and women.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll

Demographic Story of the Week: Death Rate Rises

The death rate of middle-aged white Americans is rising, according to a study by Princeton economists Angus Deaton (winner of the 2015 Nobel prize) and Anne Case and reported in the New York Times. The rise in the death rate is occurring among whites aged 45 to 54 and is limited to those with  a high school diploma or less education. Behind the rise are more suicides and higher rates of drug and alcohol poisoning.

If you haven't already read this troubling story, you can read it here: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds

White Population Is Growing in Big Cities

In a reversal of past trends, the white population is growing in the nation's largest cities, according to an analysis of the American Community Survey by William H. Frey of the Brookings Institution. Between 2010 and 2014, reports Frey, the white population in the 50 largest cities grew by 491,494. Between 2000 and 2010, whites declined by 592,228.

White gains were greatest in two age groups: 25-to-34-year-olds and 55-to-74-year-olds. "Some of these gains are certainly related to the recent uptick in the attractiveness of cities to young adults and retirees," says Frey. But, he cautions, "city revival could be short-lived and related to the plight of struggling millennials."

Source: Brookings Institution, More Big Cities Are Gaining White Population, Census Data Show

The Ferguson Effect

The attitudes of Americans toward the treatment of Blacks by the criminal justice system is changing, in part due to public outrage over the police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The majority of Americans no longer believe Blacks and Whites are treated equally by the criminal justice system.

The percentage of Americans who disagree with the statement, "Blacks and other minorities receive equal treatment as whites in the criminal justice system," climbed from 47 to 56 percent between 2013 and 2014. Even Whites are changing their mind. The percentage of Whites who disagree that Blacks and Whites are treated equally grew from 42 to 51 percent.

Source: Public Religion Research Institute, Economic Insecurity, Rising Inequality, and Doubts about the Future: Findings from the 2014 American Values Survey

The Police: Friend or Enemy?

"Do you generally think of the police more as friends, more as enemies, or don't you think of them in either of these ways?" asks a New York Times/CBS News poll.

Overall, 42 percent of Americans regard the police as their friend, 10 percent regard the police as their enemy, and 44 percent say the police are neither friend nor enemy. Here is the percentage of Americans who think of the police as their friend (or their enemy)...

Blacks: 23% (13%)
Whites: 49% (9%)

Men: 36% (15%)
Women: 48% (7%)

Aged 18-44: 29% (16%)
Aged 45-plus: 53% (5%)

Source: New York Times and CBS News, Reactions to the Shooting in Ferguson, Mo., Have Sharp Racial Divides

The Racial Wealth Gap

What accounts for the enormous gap in the wealth of blacks versus non-Hispanic whites? The wealth gap is far greater than the income gap. The net worth of black households was just $6,314 in 2011, according to the Census Bureau, a fraction of the $110,500 net worth of households headed by non-Hispanic whites.

Homeownership is one reason for the wealth gap. Non-Hispanic white households are much more likely than black households to own their home—72 versus 44 percent. Homeownership makes a big difference because a house is, for most Americans, their most valuable asset. Another important reason, however, is inheritance. According to a study published in Demography ("Do Racial Disparities in Private Transfers Help Explain the Racial Wealth Gap? New Evidence from Longitudinal Data," June 2014, $39.95), the larger inheritances and cash gifts received by non-Hispanic whites in a 10-year period account for a substantial 12 percent of the racial wealth gap.

Not only is inheritance already an important factor in the black-white wealth gap, but it may become an even bigger factor in the future. "Increases in large gifts and inheritances for white non-Hispanic families over time suggest a worsening of the white-black wealth gap in years to come," the researchers conclude.