Racial Wealth Disparities: Is the Gap Closing?

Levy Economics Institute Working Paper No. 311

21 Pages Posted: 27 Sep 2000

See all articles by Maury Gittleman

Maury Gittleman

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Edward N. Wolff

New York University (NYU) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Bard College - Levy Economics Institute

Date Written: August 2000

Abstract

A vast literature in economics has examined the economic progress of African Americans during this century. Most of these studies have focused on income - or on even narrower measures of economic well-being, such as earnings - to assess the extent to which any gains made relative to other racial groups can be attributed to such factors as declining racial discrimination, affirmative action policies, changes in industrial composition, or a narrowing gap between the educational levels of African Americans and the rest of the population. However, studies of earnings and income, while important for assessing the extent to which labor market discrimination exists and the ability of African Americans to move closer to whites in terms of acquiring the skills and connections that are currently rewarded by the markets, provide an incomplete picture. This paper, therefore, explores how African Americans have fared in terms of wealth, a less well-known factor and an important measure of economic well-being.

Suggested Citation

Gittleman, Maury and Wolff, Edward N., Racial Wealth Disparities: Is the Gap Closing? (August 2000). Levy Economics Institute Working Paper No. 311, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=243769 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.243769

Maury Gittleman (Contact Author)

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Edward N. Wolff

New York University (NYU) - Department of Economics ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Bard College - Levy Economics Institute

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