Name of Report: Rhode Island 2000 Affirmative Action Data
Organizational affiliation(s): RI Department of Labor & Training, US Census Bureau
Author: RI Census
Contact Information: RI Department of Labor & Training; Labor Market Information; 1511 Pontiac Avenue; Cranston, RI 02920-4407; Tel: 401-462-8740; Fax: 401-462-8766; www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi
Date: February 2004
Pages: 14 pages (unnumbered)
Content Summary
The report is mainly a series of tables exploring the labor force and occupation of Rhode Island based on race and ethnicity as well as gender. The report excluded the military as an occupational option. It is also important to note that the labor force is regarded as all people over the age of 16.
Major Findings
Given that the minority population of Rhode Island is approximately 19% (US Census Bureau, 2000), overall the occupation and labor statistics see only a slight disparity with Whites being 85% of the labor force. There are also some occupational disparities with women far outnumbering men in office and administrative occupations as well as healthcare support, and community and social services. There is also an overwhelming percentage of minorities in healthcare support occupations, building and grounds maintenance and production occupations given their percentage in the labor force. This is not surprising given that the Department of Human Services notes that many low-income families suffer because the working age adults are only being able to find temporary or seasonal work, which is characterized by low earnings (see Family Independence Act, 2002; also Race and Recession, 2002).
Related Issues
This report is fairly brief and requires a lot of additional follow up information. In order to pinpoint the true level of disparity within the labor it is important to know the percentage of the population over the age of 16 and who is employed vs. who is unemployed. Also further occupational breakdown would enhance the report due to the broad scope of the occupational categories. In addition, information on military occupations would be welcomed, as minority populations serving in the military tend to be disparate in comparison to their percentage of the national population. In terms of minority disparities, additional data on Providence and Central Falls would be illuminating as these areas have the highest minority populations in the state. Also data that cross references age and occupation would be helpful to note whether there are differences in minority population obtaining certain occupations at certain ages compared to their White counterparts.
Reference List
RItz, William. Race and Recession: A Special Report Examining How Changes in the Economy Affect People of Color. Applied Research Center 2002
RI Department of Human Services. Rhode Island Family Independence Act: Research Demonstrates Wisdom of Putting Families First, February 2002.
U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.
How to Access Report
All the tables in this report are available on the Labor Market Information website at www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/publicatons/affirm.htm