Employment and Unployment Rate and Crime Rate in Washington DC - Research Paper Example

The federal government of the US is located in Washington DC. A large share of the resident population in Washington DC is comprised of African Americans. Table: 1-Population change over the last ten years Area Population Change 2000 2010 Number Percent United States 281,421,906 308,745,538 27,323,632 9.7 Washington DC 572,059 601,723 29664 5.2 Crime rate in a state is directly related to its economy, especially in terms of the state’s demographics as well as geographical neighbors. With the economic revitalization of the US economy, the crime rate has reduced considerably in the US.

This can be seen especially in the case of Washington DC as it is the headquarters of the FBI and the US drug enforcement administration. The mid 2000s saw a decrease in the crime rate, but still the crime factor is a significant one in Washington DC due to the effect of its neighboring areas where the economy has not yet developed. While Washington DC has no or very less influence from the societal affects of its western and northern borders, its eastern and southern bordering states are underdeveloped and have a tendency to reflect it upon the crimes that take place in Washington DC.

In 2008 out of the total crime reported in United States, 11,160,543 only 6234 were reported in Washington DC. . There has always been a debate over whether crime in a society is affected by the employment and the unemployment rates that exist in the economy. Criminal opportunity means that the level of crime is counter-cyclical in the short run, falling and rising along with the ups and downs of the cycle in economic activity, that is, unemployment and crime share an inverse relationship (unemployment goes down, crime goes up while, unemployment goes up, crime goes down).

On the other hand, criminal motivation posits that in the long run, one would expect to find a positive relationship between the level of recorded crime and unemployment (unemployment goes down, crime goes down whereas, unemployment goes up, crime goes up) (Vujic p. 95). Increase in the employment rate reduces the crime level in society as it provides a person to earn for his living, therefore, he does not need to indulge in crime. But there is also an alternative argument that the increase in employment opportunity has increased the degree of crime, especially in the business sectors where there are large crimes committed to increased profits of a firm.

“Social control theories also emphasize employment, positing that adult criminal behavior results from insufficient job stability and commitment. Economic theories of choice similarly posit a negative relationship between employment and crime emphasizing the relative pay-offs of conventional and illegal endeavors” (Krienert & Fleisher 142). Table: 3-Seasonally adjusted Employment status of the civilian population in the Washington DC (District of Columbia) as per June 2011 State/area Civilian Labor Force Unemployed June June 2010 2011 2010 2011 Washington 334500 332800 32900 34600