How prison labor affects unemployment rates and job opportunities for former inmates
I've been reading about how companies use prison labor for manufacturing and it got me thinking - does this actually hurt unemployment numbers? Like when prisoners are making products for basically nothing, doesn't that take away jobs from regular people who need work? And then when people get out of prison, they can't find jobs because employers won't hire them, but also because some of those jobs went to current prisoners? I'm trying to understand this connection because it seems like a cycle that makes unemployment worse. Has anyone looked into how this affects NYS Department of Labor statistics or job availability?
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Jake Sinclair
This is actually a complex economic issue. Prison labor does compete with regular employment in certain industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and call centers. Studies show that areas with large prison populations often have higher unemployment rates in those sectors. When it comes to NYS Department of Labor data, formerly incarcerated individuals face unemployment rates of 60-75% in their first year after release. The combination of having a criminal record plus competing against prison labor creates a double barrier to employment.
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Vera Visnjic
•That's exactly what I was thinking about! So it really is a cycle - prisoners take jobs while inside, then can't get jobs when they get out. Do you know if NYS Department of Labor tracks this specifically?
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Brielle Johnson
I work in workforce development and this comes up a lot. Companies can pay prisoners as little as $0.20-$1.00 per hour, so why would they hire regular workers at minimum wage? It's not just about unemployment numbers - it's about wage suppression too. When there's cheap prison labor available, it drives down wages for everyone in those industries. The NYS Department of Labor doesn't really separate this data out though, which makes it hard to see the full impact.
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Honorah King
•This is so messed up. No wonder people can't find decent paying jobs when companies can basically use slave labor instead.
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Oliver Brown
If you're trying to research this for unemployment benefits or job search purposes, you might want to contact NYS Department of Labor directly. I used claimyr.com recently to get through to an actual agent when I couldn't get answers about my claim status. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Getting real information from NYS Department of Labor staff might help you understand how they classify employment data related to this issue.
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Vera Visnjic
•Thanks! I'm not filing for unemployment myself, just trying to understand the broader economic picture, but that's good to know for getting official data.
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Mary Bates
my brother got out of prison 2 years ago and still cant find work. every application asks about criminal history and most places just throw it away after that. meanwhile he told me they were making furniture in prison for some big company and the prison was getting paid but the inmates got like 50 cents an hour. its totally backwards
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Jake Sinclair
•This is unfortunately very common. Many states have 'ban the box' legislation that prevents employers from asking about criminal history on initial applications, but enforcement is inconsistent. Your brother might want to look into organizations that specifically help formerly incarcerated people find work.
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Clay blendedgen
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED! Private prisons make money from keeping people locked up AND from the labor while they're inside. Then they get out and can't find work so they end up back in prison. It's not about rehabilitation - it's about profit. And regular working people suffer because our jobs get taken by literal slave labor.
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Ayla Kumar
•I mean you're not wrong about the cycle but there are some programs trying to address this. Just saying it's all hopeless doesn't help anyone.
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