Workforce: Advancing racial equity in the workforce is a moral and economic imperative.

Insights & Analyses

  • White residents in the US make up 59 percent of residents of prime working age (25-64) but only 52 percent of those ages 18-24 who are just entering the workforce. 
  • In the US, among residents living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and between the ages of 18 to 24, over a third are Black or Latinx, US-born. 
  • Among residents 65 or older in the US, females comprise an equal or larger share than males across all racial/ethnic groups.
  • In the US, Latinx immigrants account for about 1 in 10 of the prime working age population while Asian American immigrants account for 1 in 20.
  • Among the Latinx population of prime working age in the US, there are about 13 million residents with Mexican ancestry, of which about half are immigrants. Among the Asian American population of prime working age in the US, there are 2 million residents with Indian ancestry, of which 90 percent are immigrants, and 2 million with Chinese ancestry, of which 80 percent are immigrants.
     

Drivers of Inequity

The US population is increasingly made up of people of color and immigrants, particularly among younger generations. At the same time, the white population is rapidly aging, as baby boomers retire and birth rates continue to decline. These twin forces are widening the demographic gap between the nation’s youngest and oldest residents. As people of color become the majority of the US workforce, racial inequities in the labor market represent a rising liability for the economy as a whole. Today, roughly half of all young people under the age of 25 are people of color, many of whom grow up in historically underresourced neighborhoods without the robust educational systems, digital infrastructure, public transit, and professional networks that help young people access good-paying jobs in stable workplaces and industries.

Strategies

Grow an equitable economy: Policies to reach full employment for all

Strategy in Action

SkillSpring helps New York City youth pursue careers in geriatric health care. Run by The New Jewish Home healthcare system, this program annually helps 225 New York City youth from under-resourced schools in the Bronx and Manhattan pursue careers in health care. The program trains high school students to become health-care professionals with a focus on serving older adults. As part of the program, youth work directly with older adults in long-term care through paid internships, mentorship, and clinical training. Youth can earn up to five allied health-care certifications, so they can immediately find work and earn income while in college. Ninety-nine percent of the students in the program graduate high school, and five in six participants have gone on to earn a postsecondary degree. Learn more.

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