Some Ohio cities have the nation’s widest employment and income gaps between whites and blacks. Those are the findings ina new report by the National Urban League. Out of 71 cities studied, Toledo ranked 70th in unemployment with a gap of more than 15 percent. Cleveland is 68th with Akron ranked 51st. The three cities also all rank near the bottom when it comes to wage inequality. The median income for black households in these cites is about $30,000 less than white households. John Corlett is president of the Center for Community Solutionsin Cleveland. He says the Cleveland’s overall poverty rate has declined recently, but it has also become more concentrated in certain neighborhoods.
“And so when that happens you have less economic opportunity, less engagement, worse health, and those problems build on each other. And so I think that’s what might be contributing towards those ranks in this index.”
The National Urban League study says nationally the overall standard of living for blacks is about 30 percent less that of whites.