What Spatial Mismatch? The Proximity of Blacks to Employment in Boston and Houston

We investigate the spatial mismatch hypothesis by analyzing detailed data on the spatial distributions of jobs and populations in Boston and Houston. Job potential measures calculated using data from the Urban Transportation Planning Package indicate that, on average, blacks are physically near more jobs than whites are. This finding holds despite analysis being restricted to consider only entry-level blue-collar jobs and allowances being made for group differences in search and commuting capabilities. This raises questions about the hypothesis that black-white employment differentials can be attributed to an inadequate supply of employment possibilities for African American workers resulting from shifts in the spatial distribution of jobs from the inner city to the suburbs.

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