EthnicMajority

(Pennsylvania Labor and Employment Blog) According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC" or "Commission"), if current incarceration rates continue, 1 in 3 African-American men and 1 in 6 Hispanic men will be incarcerated during their lifetimes. The rate for white men is only 1 in 17. Given this disparity in incarceration rates, the EEOC has long been concerned that employer policies restricting hiring based on prior criminal convictions may unfairly deprive minorities of employment opportunities. In Enforcement Guidance issued on April 25, 2012, the EEOC outlined its approach for determining whether an employer's criminal history screening policies violate Title VII on the grounds of either "disparate treatment" or "disparate impact."

Disparate Treatment. Obviously, employers cannot hold applicants to tougher screening standards on the basis of their race or national origin. An employer that considers an applicant's prior criminal history during the hiring process must do so on a consistent, non-discriminatory basis. A disappointed minority applicant with a criminal history may be able to prove he was subject to unlawful discrimination by showing inconsistencies in the hiring process, derogatory statements regarding a particular class or evidence suggesting that certain protected classes are held to a stricter screening standard than other groups.

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(Examiner.com) Employment numbers slow to recover for African Americans-While it is no secret that America as a whole has been facing an economy slow to recover, the unemployment numbers for African American workers continue to be the highest in the nation at a staggering 13.6  percent.

Those numbers fell slightly in 2012 from 15.8 percent last year to 13.6. However, the percentage is still higher then any other ethnic group. Currently in the U.S a large number of African Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. As with most economic crisis, there are certain factors that influence income and job growth. A lack of educational qualifications is an important factor when it comes to minority job growth in higher paying careers. Higher education and retraining have become essential to survival in a tough job market.

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(Epoch Times) Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing community in the United States and their businesses are more likely to create jobs than any other, but they are largely ignored by government and political parties, according to recent research.

The Asian-American population grew 46 percent, to over 17 million, between 2000 and 2010—faster than any other group, including Latinos, the 2010 U.S. Census reported.

Asian-American entrepreneurs are also great drivers of the economy, owning more than 1.5 million businesses, employing around 3 million people, and turning over an annual payroll of nearly $80 billion.

This success, however, tends to overshadow real needs that exist in Asian-American communities.

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(People's Choice) Got debt? Beware! Your employer may fire you for it.

That's what happened to Latoya Horton at Bain & Co., according to a widely circulated petition at change.org.

Horton said she took out student loans - like millions of other Americans - to get an accounting degree. She got a temporary job with Bain & Co., and they offered her a permanent one after six months.

Just weeks after starting the permanent position, the corporation fired her. Why? Because her debt-to-credit ratio was too high!

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(Washington Post) Nearly a half-century after African-Americans were admitted to predominantly white Texas A&M University, a black student has finally reached the pinnacle of one of its signature organizations.

Marquis Alexander next school year will become commander of A&M’s Corps of Cadets, a high-profile post that involves establishing the cadets’ dress codes for their military-style uniforms and setting their daily schedule, including physical training that can begin before dawn.

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(Scripps News) In California, a state with a large ethnic population, the vast majority of judges are white men, although women and minorities have been making gains, according to a recent state report.

There were 1,677 judges in California last year, according to the sixth annual report from the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts. The report, released in March, shows that of those judges, 1,212 are white, 137 are Hispanic, 96 are African-American, and 94 are Asian. The rest are other races, listed more than one race or didn't provide information.

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(Business Insider) After the dust settles over the recession, it's becoming increasingly clear that African Americans will have the most lost ground to cover–especially in retirement planning. 

A new report by Aon Hewitt and Ariel Investments shows just how much damage deteriorating finances and a weak job market has done to their nest eggs.

(FoxNews) Pay below the national average persists among the majority of Latino women, who earn, on average, 40 percent less than white non-Hispanic men, according to the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

The LCLAA, which represents 2 million Latino union members, presented a report stating that Hispanic males also earn less than their Anglo and African-American peers.

Specifically, women of Hispanic origin in 2010 earned an average of $508 per week, compared with $592 for black women and $684 for white-non-Hispanic females.

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(The Root) McDonald's has announced that current President Donald Thompson will take over as CEO on July 1 of this year, becoming the first African American to head the fast-food chain since it was founded in 1955.

From USA Today:

Thompson, who has long been considered among the top candidates to succeed Skinner, will be the first African American to head McDonald's since it was founded in 1955.

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(Huffington Post) In a time when more than half of the country's total population growth was driven by an increase in the Hispanic population, the academic achievement and subsequent economic role of Latinos is of interest to many.

This week, the Washington D.C.-based non-profit Excelencia in Education released a report that lists the 25 colleges that see the most Latinos graduate from their institutions – many of them in the south.

The report, entitled, "Finding Your Workforce: The Top 25 Institutions Graduating Latinos," also highlights the strides and shortcomings that U.S. Latinos face in terms of post-secondary college attainment.

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