71

percent). And studies show that the wage gap between whites and minorities has actually widened over the last 40 years.

Why the decrease in household income? It is because there is an increasing disparity in pay between the jobs that our nation is losing and the few that are being created. The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, recently reported that jobs being created pay about 21 percent less than the jobs they replace. Growth industries such as health care pay 26 percent less than those industries that are losing jobs such as the auto industry. And adding insult to injury, growth industries offer reduced benefits and pensions.

Additionally, while increases in productivity have raised corporate profits and put a smile on Wall Street's face, part-time work is up and health insurance benefits are down -- particularly for minority families, which account for more than half of the 43 million citizens without year-around health insurance.

The fact is, after the creation of 22 million jobs during President Bill Clinton's eight years in office and a decrease in disparity, economic inequality is back with a vengeance.

The solution lies not only in creating new and better jobs for all Americans, but also in addressing the continuing disparities in our educational system.

Today, fewer than 80 percent of African-Americans have completed high school. By comparison, nearly 90 percent of white Americans have high school diplomas. Only 17 percent of black students earn college degrees, while 29 percent of white student complete college.

Resolving these disparities means investing in Head Start, fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act and increasing after-school programs for our young people. Our resolve is firm, and we will continue to work on these problems until they are solved.

February is a month of commemoration for African-Americans. But it's also a time to critically examine the issues that continue to face our nation and minority families. So long as there is work to be done, we should never be content to rest on our laurels.

Steny Hoyer, the Democration Whip in the House of Representatives, represents Maryland's 5th Congressional District. Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Democrat, chairs the Congressional Black Caucus and represents Maryland's 7th Congressional District. Kweisi Mfume is president and CEO of the NAACP.

Copyright (c) 2004, The Baltimore Sun