Hispanic and Black workers in Syracuse have some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, according to U.S. Census data.
It’s a nationwide problem, said Thomas Hirschl, a Cornell University professor who researches social class differentiation. The disparities persist even among broadly low unemployment figures.
“I think inequality breeds problems,” Hirschl said. “People feel excluded, people feel shut out of the system. And we need to have a system that’s participatory.”
Business leaders in Central New York have spoken often in recent years about making inclusive economic growth a priority. But there are also practical reasons to confront the disparities, local workforce experts said.
The Syracuse area is poised for significant growth in the coming years, thanks to the planned Micron Technology project in Clay. The project is expected to lead to thousands of new jobs in the decades ahead, but those positions won’t get filled effectively if some groups are left behind.
The data in Syracuse paints an especially challenging picture for Black and Hispanic residents.
Hispanic workers in Syracuse had an unemployment rate of 11.5% in 2024, according to census estimates released in September. That was tied for the 11th-worst figure in the U.S. among 253 places with at least 100,000 people.
The Hispanic unemployment rate in the city was more than 7.5 percentage points higher than the rate for white workers. That was the eighth-highest gap in the nation last year.
For Black residents, the numbers aren’t much better. The unemployment rate for that group was 13% in Syracuse in 2024, No. 22 in the U.S.
Black workers in the city were unemployed at a rate more than 9 percentage points higher than white workers. That was the 20th-biggest gap in the nation last year.
The jobless rate for white workers in Syracuse in 2024 was 4%.
The disparities in unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers in Syracuse were also higher than the figures for all of New York and the nation as a whole.
The gap for Hispanic workers was 3.7 percentage points in New York in 2024 and 2.1 points nationwide (compared to Syracuse’s 7.5-point gap). For Black workers, it was 5.5 points in New York and 4.2 points in the U.S. (compared to Syracuse’s 9-point gap).
The new one-year census estimates are based on smaller sample sizes and have a higher margin of error than data the Census Bureau releases annually based on a five-year set of data. The next five-year estimates are scheduled to be released in January.
Five-year data from past years shows somewhat narrower gaps in unemployment than the one-year figures. But the general picture is similar: Black and Hispanic workers in Syracuse face high rates of unemployment and gaps in their unemployment rates when compared with white workers.
The reasons for the unemployment disparities faced by Black and Hispanic workers are varied, experts said.
Systemic, structural factors like generational poverty and the legacy of segregation play a role, said Patricia Washington, director of workforce development at On Point for College, a Syracuse-based nonprofit that helps students overcome barriers to higher education.
Structural factors show up prominently in schools. Wealthier, suburban districts have advantages that those in urban areas don’t.
“They have more access,” Washington said. “They have more resources compared to the ones in some of the urban areas. Those schools are underresourced.”
The more limited resources in urban districts like Syracuse show up in a variety of ways, Washington added. Higher teacher turnover, for example, ultimately has a negative effect on students.
The disadvantages eventually show up in stats like the unemployment rate.
Black and Hispanic workers also tend to be laid off first in downturns and rehired last, said Hirschl, the Cornell professor.
That could be a result of bias against those workers, either overt or unconscious. Either way, it leads to higher unemployment among those groups over time.
Black and Hispanic workers as a whole face other challenges that can make it tougher to find work. They sometimes lack reliable transportation, face health problems at higher rates and lack as much access to training and education.
Focusing on policies that benefit workers overall can help lift Black and Hispanic residents. Such policies aren’t exclusionary: They’ll help white residents facing similar challenges, Hirschl said.
“I think people need to realize that if you do something right for the Black worker, you do something right for all workers,” he said. “You raise up the lowest rail, you raise everybody up.”
Local efforts in the Syracuse area have focused on helping workers understand how skills they already have could apply in new industries.
Even employers in high-tech fields often seek employees with basic skills like good problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking and persistence, said Aimee Durfee, vice president for workforce innovation at CenterState CEO, a business and economic development group in Syracuse.
Someone with experience in auto repair or retail might not realize they could have a place at a company like Micron, Durfee said. But they could.
“A big piece of this work is just career awareness,” Durfee said. “So we’re digging in with companies around what are some of those transferable skills that may not be obvious to a job seeker.”
CenterState and other groups in the region have also been focusing more on paid apprenticeships in recent years. One effort aimed to train workers for major construction, including the Interstate 81 project in Syracuse.
Such programs help workers train for new careers, while continuing to get a paycheck to support their families.
Addressing unemployment disparities takes focused, street-level outreach, said Rosemary Avila, executive director at CNY Works, a nonprofit workforce development group in Syracuse.
The work goes beyond training on job hunting alone.
Individuals getting help from CNY Works might learn how to improve their resume, but also get referred to an agency that can provide assistance with transportation, mental health challenges or even getting clothes for interviews.
“It’s just a holistic view of someone, from walking in the door to the ultimate goal of someone being placed in a good job,” Avila said.
Article by Kevin Tampone. Read the original article at Syracuse.com.
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