Studies show that black workers have been the hardest hit by downsizing caused by the recession. About 1 in 5 black workers have public sector jobs, and are 1/3 more likely than white workers to be employed in the public sector. The unemployment rate among black workers rose to 16.7% last summer, the highest level since 1984. Economists say that a variety of factors, including lower education levels and continuing discrimination, influence the statistics. The public sector has lost about 142,000 jobs in the past year, on top of 200,000 in 2010 alone.
See "As Public Sector Sheds Jobs, Blacks Are Hit Hardest", Timothy Williams, The New York Times, November 28, 2011