Study: White males hit hardest by Georgia job losses

Associated Press

A new study shows white males are bearing the burden of job losses in Georgia, contradicting conventional thought that minorities typically suffer more from unemployment during down economic times.

The study released by the Georgia Department of Labor on Tuesday examined joblessness among black men and women, and white men and women. It found the number of men of any race drawing unemployment insurance increasing 160 percent from December 2007 through May.

Among white males, it increased 211 percent, to 51,562 men. That’s compared to a 78.8 percent increase for black females — the smallest increase in unemployment benefit claims among any of the four groups studied.

The study links the male job losses to cuts in the construction and manufacturing industries.