Low-Income Rural People in East Central Arkansas Face Roadblocks to Jobs

摘要

Records from several sources revealed that 228 of 742 persons completing a Title III-B Economic Opportunity Act job training program during 1967-71 had obtained employment. Of the 228, a sample of 104 was located and interviewed, with 74 (46 blacks, 28 whites) still employed in 1971, and with 29 (9 whites, 20 blacks) who had previously been employed being unemployed in 1971. The main roadblocks to jobs during the year ending July 1971 were'could not find suitable work,' and 'laid off from work.' Reasons for leaving their first job after III-B training also centered on being laid off from work (32 percent), but included transportation problems (15 percent). In addition to these 104 respondents, a random sample of 30 persons (2 white, 28 black) was used to represent the remaining 514 trainees who had failed to obtain employment. This last group of 30 tended to be black, unmarried, separated, or divorced females with children. They had experienced unemployment during the year ending July 1971 mainly because of inability to find suitable work (70 percent), and ill health (13 percent).