Volume 21, Number 1 (Winter) 1986
DeFreitas, Gregory. 1986. "A Time-Series Analysis of Hispanic Unemployment." Journal of Human Resources 21(1):24-43.
This study undertakes the first systematic time-series research on the cyclical patterns and principal determinants of Hispanic joblessness in the U.S. The empirical analysis compares the experiences of whites, blacks, and the different Hispanic ethnic groups. The principal findings indicate that Hispanics tend to bear a disproportionate share of increases in unemployment during recessions. The most important single factor is the above-average elasticity of their employment with respect to variations in aggregate demand.
The author is a visiting professor of economics at the University of Toronto, and assistant professor at Barnard College, Columbia University. His research was supported by grants from the Mellon Foundation and the Spencer Foundation. He is grateful to David J. Green, Adriana Marshall, Edward Montgomery, and two anonymous referees for helpful comments, and to Carol Leon and John Stinson of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for providing unpublished data.
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