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According to a recent report, despite large increases over the last thirty years in educational attainment among black men, they are still less likely to obtain a good job. Researchers defined a “good job” as one that has good pay, health benefits and a retirement plan.

In the report, “Has Education Paid off for Black Workers?,” between 1979 and 2011, the number of black men with a high school diploma or less dropped from 72.6 percent to 43.4 percent. The share with a college degree increased from 8.1 percent to 23.4 percent.

From Center for Economic & Policy Research:

Despite this massive improvement at both ends of the education spectrum, black men overall and at every education level – less than high school, high school, some college but short of a four-year degree, and at least a four-year degree – are less likely to be in a good job today than three decades ago.

Read more at Center for Economic & Policy Research

Both black men and black women saw  large improvements in educational attainment, but black women were the only ones to experience increases in good jobs. Researchers cite the shrink in the gender gap as a reason for the increase.

Thoughts on the study?

Why aren’t black men able to obtain good jobs?

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