A Tale of Three Cities: Labor Markets and Homicide

This paper investigates the relationship between labor stratification and crime. Using data from the census tracts of Cleveland, Washington, DC, and Seattle, the analysis compares homicide rates and labor market conditions. The analyses show that in all three cities labor market participation has significant influence on levels of homicide. However, the structure of work in each city also appears to have an important effect on the rate at which people do not finish high school. The pattern of these effects differs across cities. In Seattle, the city with what might be called “a twenty-first century industrial structure,” work operates primarily through education to affect murder rates. In Cleveland and Washington there is more of an underclass effect. Homicide rates in Cleveland reflect the presence of underclass communities and an important direct influence of education on crime. Washington's homicide rate is driven in a more substantial way simply by a pervasive underclass.