Spotlight on the jobs crisis conference

In-person attendance to tomorrow's forum, Spotlight on the Jobs Crisis, is filled to capacity. However, the forum will be streamed via the web beginning at 9:00 am.


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Spotlight on the Jobs Crisis

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

9:00 am to 11:00 am (UPDATED TIME)

That the economy is growing again provides hope, but it will not lead to job growth or a lowering of unemployment for many months to come. Therefore, as recovery takes hold, it is ever important that economic policies focus on generating a robust, shared prosperity and millions more jobs as soon as possible. More than fifteen million Americans are out of work, and a third of them have been unemployed for six months or more. Millions more are underemployed.

Moreover, these data obscure what has been a particularly devastating unemployment situation for Hispanic and black workers, whose unemployment rates are at almost 13% and over 15% respectively. EPI estimates that a third of the workforce will be unemployed or underemployed at some point in 2010, with the impact exceeding 40% in minority communities. And, as whole industries shutter with the decline of the manufacturing sector, communities built around good union jobs are withering away.

Join the Economic Policy Institute, in partnership with the AFL-CIO, Center for Community Change, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, NAACP and National Council of La Raza, as we shine a spotlight on the jobs crisis and its devastating impacts on workers and their communities. The Recovery Act has made a critically important contribution to alleviating the worse downturn in several generations, but more needs to be done as soon as possible to generate more jobs. With his recent call for a December summit on jobs, it is clear President Obama shares our sense of urgency.

For more information, email events@epi.org.