Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Congratulates Attendees and Successful Applicants From This Weekend’s Job Fair in Cuney Homes with H-E-B Grocers

“The participation rate of attendees at this weekend’s job fair in Cuney Homes was overwhelming. There were close to 100 people who attended and over a third that number—34—signed up for jobs with H-E-B. Furthermore, and indicative of the interest that this event generated, while many individuals did not inquire of jobs for themselves, they did so for either children, grandchildren or other relatives looking for employment. The success of this event suggests a demand for future such events. In the coming days, I will be seeking opportunities with other valued businesses, like H-E-B, with which to partner, in order to secure employment for those seeking it.” – Jackson Lee

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, issued this statement following a job fair she hosted on Saturday in Cuney Homes:

This past weekend, on Saturday, I was pleased to host a job fair in Cuney Homes, with participation from HEB Grocers, a storied Texas business. The need for the job fair was manifest: As the employment rate hovers around 3.7% for all Americans, this is an incomplete number for some Americans. Many of the available jobs are unfilled because many lack the skills to fill them. And, it is an imprecise number because the number is higher for Latino communities and almost two full points higher for African American workers. This is as much a function of racial minority as it is socioeconomic status. And here in Harris County, Texas, the demographics speak to the opportunities needed for minority communities. In Harris County, over 60 percent of the population is either Hispanic and Latino or African American. Thus, it follows that communities of color are distinctly susceptible to downturns in the economic market. More precisely, the African American community continues to fall behind in their efforts to make the gains of their white counterparts. In fact, the chasm between these groups is widening. According to the Economic Policy Institute, in a report from earlier this year, the median black worker made just 75% of what an equivalent white worker did, and that number is lower than when it was measured in 2000. And, a recent statistic by the University of Chicago indicates that the gap between whites and African Americans is nearly as big as it was in the 1950s. And, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of college-aged undergraduate students were employed was higher among part-time students, 81%, than among full time students, 43%. These numbers are lower in 2017 than were in 2005. This is attributable to many reasons, not the least of which is the dearth of jobs that can be filled by these Americans.

The participation rate of attendees at this weekend’s job fair in Cuney Homes was overwhelming. There were close to 100 people who attended and over a third that number—34—signed up for jobs with H-E-B. Furthermore, and indicative of the interest that this event generated, while many individuals did not inquire of jobs for themselves, they did so for either children, grandchildren or other relatives looking for employment. The success of this event suggests a demand for future such events. In the coming days, I will be seeking opportunities with other valued businesses, like H-E-B, with which to partner, in order to secure employment for those seeking it.