There has long been a discussion about the lack of black CEOs in Corporate America. But when’s the last time you saw an African-American vet or private detective?
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the workforce is even more stratified by race than you’d ever think, reports The Atlantic. In certain professions there are differences in unemployment rates, participation rates, and average earnings between whites, blacks, and Hispanics. And this situation has remained like this for the last 40 years!
Currently, whites account for about 81 percent of the workforce. There are, however, 33 occupations counted by the BLS (especially those on farms, around heavy machines, in doctor’s offices, and in C-suites) where whites officially make up nine out of ten of all workers — or more.
The top 10 “whitest” professions are:
- Veterinarians
- Farmers, Ranchers
- Mining Machine Operators
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Millwrights (someone who builds machinery, an evolution from the days when specialists built things like windmills. We had to look it up.)
- Chemical-Processing Machine Workers
- Cost Estimators
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Aircraft Pilots
- Small Engine Mechanics
Further down on the list were chief executives, architects, electricians, private detectives, and EMT/paramedics.
And while Asians account for 20 percent of physicians and surgeons, they are just one percent of vets. Blacks make up 44 percent of grounds cleaning/maintenance workers, but groundskeepers are 90 percent white.
One possible reason for the lack of blacks in skilled construction jobs, such as electricians and carpenters, is that trade unions have had a history of shutting blacks and Hispanics out of these highly sought-after jobs.
Are you surprised by this list?
