The United States economy has emerged from the depths of the Great Recession in an impressive fashion; approximately 11.3 million jobs have been added, with unprecedented job growth for 75 consecutive months. Yet African-American unemployment, at 8.1%, remains nearly twice the white unemployment rate of 4.1%, a situation which has been true for far too long, particularly among youth ages 16-24. RECOMMENDATIONS• Dramatically increase funding for job training and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, target funding to adult re-entry, and youth and older workers workforce training programs administered through national and regional intermediary community-based organizations, as well as municipal governments. • Enact a comprehensive summer youth employment initiative which creates five million paid summer jobs for urban, suburban and rural youth.• Enact comprehensive apprenticeship programs which provide opportunities across all economic sectors for youth and young adults. Enact a comprehensive infrastructure initiative that rebuilds the nation’s roads, bridges, rails, water systems, parks, community facilities, affordable housing and broadband. Such an initiative should maximize public investment and leverage private dollars to create millions of jobs, as well as business opportunities for American-based businesses both large and small. Such an infrastructure initiative should meet three conditions: a. Maximized opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses b. A workforce development and job training program to bring millions of youth and young adults into the construction industry for the first time c. Investments in schools, libraries, community centers, recreation facilities, parks, housing and broadband internet access… and represent a forward-leaning 21st century.• Enacting a federal living wage of $15 per hour, indexing future increases to inflation. Absent federal legislative action to increase the federal minimum wage, states and municipalities should continue their efforts to increase the minimum wage in their jurisdictions to a living wage.• Reauthorizing and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit.4JOBS AND ECONOMYMAIN STREET MARSHALL PLAN
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