Question

The earnings gap in the U.S. labor market between black and white workers:

a) Was completely eliminated by the end of the 1960s.

b) Has not diminished at all since 1960.

c) Has diminished since 1960, but a gap still remains.

d) Existed in the 1960s but was reversed throughout the 1970s.

Answer 1

The earnings gap in the U.S. labor market between black and white workers has diminished since 1960 due to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with some progress reflected in earnings ratio improvements. However, a significant gap persists to this day, and it remains a critical issue in discussions of racial equity in the workforce.

Step-by-step explanation:

Investigating the Black/White Earnings Gap

In response to the student's question regarding the earnings gap in the U.S. labor market between black and white workers, the most accurate statement is that the gap has diminished since 1960, but a gap still remains. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there were significant legal and societal changes that began to reduce this gap. This legislation made it illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of race, among other factors.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that there was a noticeable improvement following the Civil Rights Act; the ratio of earnings of black male workers to white male workers increased from 62% in 1964 to 75.3% in 2013. Despite this progress, complete parity has not been achieved, as studies such as those conducted by Bayer, as well as information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, have shown that an earnings gap persists in both gender and race.

Furthermore, while the gap narrowed in the 1970s, subsequent decades saw less movement, highlighting that racial disparities in earnings have proven stubbornly resistant to change. Therefore, while there has been significant progress since the 1960s, the complete obliteration of the earnings gap has not been realized, and the disparities in earnings between black and white workers continue to be a point of concern and focus for economic and social policy.

Answer 2

The earnings gap between black and white workers in the U.S. labor market has diminished since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, especially in the late 1960s and into the 1970s, but it has not been eliminated, and a significant gap remains. Option C is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the earnings gap between black and white workers in the U.S. labor market. Historical evidence and economic studies, including information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and research by economists like Francine Blau and Laurence Kahn, show that the earnings gap did diminish after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, particularly in the late 1960s and 1970s.

However, the gap was not completely eliminated, and after the initial progress, it has not seen significant change. In recent years, data suggests that the gap remains, with the ratio of earnings of black workers to white workers having risen from 62% in 1964 to 75.3% in 2013, indicating an improvement but not parity.

Understanding the earnings gap is vital because it reflects broader issues of racial inequality in the United States, both historically and in contemporary society. Despite progress in certain periods, such as the 1970s when the gap shrank, the persistence of the earnings gap indicates ongoing challenges in labor market equity. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and census data both provide clear evidence that while there has been progress, the issue has not been resolved, and an earnings gap still remains.