The Boston Globe's labor reporter offers "Job hurdles grow larger for black men":

...In 2004, fewer than 39 percent of black men between the ages of 16 and 24 had a job. The comparable national numbers for Hispanics and whites were 60 percent and 59 percent. All three groups lost ground between 2000 and 2004. Blacks started from a lower point and fell further...

[The article discusses the findings of the paper "What Explains the Continuing Decline in Labor Force Activity Among Young Black Men?" from Georgetown University public policy professor Harry Holzer, which says that prison and child support play a role. The article doesn't mention it, but the paper - for some wacky reason - doesn't appear to cover another major issue. The article, however, does mention that issue:]

...intensified competition in the labor market. In a series of reports they have written, Northeastern University economists Andrew Sum and Paul Harrington have documented the success new immigrants have had in landing jobs. Since 2000, 3.7 million new immigrants -- those who arrived in the past five years -- have found employment. In low-wage jobs, immigrants have displaced young people of all races.

But young black men have been hit hardest, Sum said, because they compete most directly with immigrants for jobs at stores and fast-food restaurants, especially in urban areas.

Harrington saw that rivalry up close on a recent visit to Philadelphia where he conducted a focus group with employers. Philadelphia is a city with a large black population and a growing number of immigrants. The employers at the meeting didn't say anything disparaging about black workers. In fact, some of the employers themselves were black. But to a person they were effusive in their praise for immigrants.

"All they could talk about was the work ethic of their foreign-born employees," Harrington said. Work ethic seems to be a term that covers a lot of ground -- everything from showing up on time, to treating customers well, to willingness to learn new skills.

Racism may be a factor, but probably not a big one. Harrington and Sum's research shows that black male immigrants without a high school diploma are twice as likely to hold a job than their native-born counterparts...

Obviously, the correct public policy is to reduce the amount of foreign competition for American jobs and inculcate a "work ethic" among the 61% of 16-24 black men who are unemployed. The absolutely incorrect public policy is for the president of the U.S. to promulgate propaganda in support of cheap foreign labor.

How do "liberals" respond to this issue? While no "liberal" site appears to have commented on this specific article, let's turn to this January 7, 2004 thread from Daily "screw 'em" Kos about Bush's guest worker amnesty scheme:

"Catsy" says: The downside: pardon me for being shrill, as this affects me directly as one of the nation's unemployed, but what the great bouncing cherry-flavored gummi christs are we doing taking steps to legitimize illegal workers and provide job placement for potential immigrants when there are so many American citizens who can't find work?

"manyoso", who I believe to be raza, replies: This is one of the things I hate about Republicans... and you are echoing them. This is the classic Republican argument against immigrants. It is also one of the primary arguments in every racist bigot's arsenal. I am disgusted to see this coming from a progressive site. Fear of brown people coming in to take all of our jobs is anathema to the progressive, inclusive view. Let's not turn into Republicans by turning on one of our primary constituencies.

Then, the Great Kos himself chimes in: Immigrants do the shit work that Americans think they are too good to do. Landscaping. Slaughterhouses. Agricultural drudge work. Housekeepers... Don't shit on immigrants... And considering that I am an immigrant, I wonder whose job I "stole"?

Obviously, they live in a magic place where illegal aliens always did those jobs and furthermore where the market doesn't apply. While some of the "liberals" on that thread make some slight sense, they usually spoil it by supporting a massive amnesty or by being restrained by political correctness. That said, it seems like there is the possibility of some of the great thinkers on that thread of having their minds changed if presented with more information.