St. Paul recorder., 1963-10-17
On Job Front:
On Job Front:
Young Commends
Stepped Up Program
BV US. Industry

M. Young, Jr., executive director
Of the National Urban League,
commended the effort that indus
try is making today in seeking out
qualified Negroes for employment
But, much more needs to be done,
he said.
No employer is saying he favors
preferential hiring of Negroes, but
many now are doing it, Mr.. Young
said.
Speaking at the luncheon Of the
three-day Conference on Automa-
tion and Public Welfare, held in
the New York Hilton Hotel, Mr..
Young reported that 115 compan-
les in the Plans for Progress pro-
gram of the Presidents Commit
tee on Equal Opportunity had
hired 10000 new workers in the
last three months. OF the total,
nearly 25 per cent were Negroes,
whereas in any previous three
month period, the percentage of
Negroes never had been more than
three per cent.
However, automation keeps Ne
gro workers in the position Of
double jeopardy, because the ma
jordty Of them are concentrated In
jobs rejecting the lease amount of
training, skill and opportunity,
thus rendering them most suscep-
tible to unemployment caused by
chronological changes, he declared.
Much must be done to bring the
utilization Of Negro manpower into
line with the Negroes educational
attainment before we may expect
any great change in the number of
Negroes in the higher levels Of job
opportunities, he said.
Also, Negroes are denied jobs
because of discrimination and ex-
clusion, no matter what their edu-
cation, he reminded.
The Urban League Is on record
as calling for accelerated special
efforts" - a domestic Marshall
Plan" - on the part Of the total
community to meet the increasing
problems Of education and train
ing.
The occupational position Of the
Negro worker Is one link in a
logtc-tight chain: low job status,
low sldlls and low family stability.
It's inevitable products - personal
Incompetence and social instability
point to the fact that Negroes
continue not to be a part Of mod
ern industrial and business devel-
opment, and, as such, keeps them
in a position Of double jeopardy,
Mr.. Young said.
During 1852 and 1868, we have
had approximately Az million, or
about six per cent Of the available
work force continuously unemploy-
ed, and although the Negro con-
stitutes only II per cent Of the
total work force, he totals % per
cent Of the unemployed and the
largest percentage Of the hard
core" category, the UL director
said.
The greatest amount Of unem-
ployment is in the seni-sldlled and
msldlled groups. In this area, jobs
are disappearing at the rate Of
10000 per week, according to one
aItomation expert.
Among the young, new workers,
those under 25 make up only 20
| percent OF the total work force,
but SO percent of the unemployed,
Mr.. Young said.
Many Negro boys and girls are
among the % million young work.
ers who have been entering the
labor market. They become the
most frequent victims Of layofrs,
reassignment and other problems
generally associated with unem-
ployment. The disadvahtaged stat
us of Negro youth creates for Ne
groes a possible position Of triple
jeopardy, because we face the pos
sbiltty Of a third and fourth gen
erataon Of non-qualified workers,
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