Black Women in Employment and Training Programs

Abstract

This article examines the past experience of women—with a focus on black women—in employment and training programs. In spite of the fact that women have been underrepresented in these programs and often steered toward training in “traditionally female” occupations, they exhibit higher postprogram earnings gains than males. Overall, however, the training provided has at best shifted women into low-wage clerical fields with average annual earnings barely above the poverty level. Therefore, these programs—taken alone—can not be expected to have a major impact on an important problem facing blacks: welfare dependency.