Demographic disparities

Many workers in the US experience limited opportunities and are over- or underrepresented in certain kinds of jobs because of occupational segregation and discrimination. They are affected in adverse and unequal ways in the labor market based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability, and other demographic characteristics. WorkRise generates evidence on and elevates our understanding of how demographic disparities and inequities can be addressed to promote economic mobility for all workers and create a more equitable labor market.

Working Knowledge

Stakeholder voices November 20, 2020

A Q&A with Sandra Susan Smith

Smith, the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Professor of Criminal Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School, argues for building an economy based on valuing human life over profit.

Elisabeth Jacobs

Stakeholder voices November 06, 2020

A Q&A with Darrick Hamilton

One of the nation’s leading voices and economic thinkers on racial justice, Hamilton reflects upon how race and identity shape economic and labor market outcomes.

Elisabeth Jacobs

Skills and training October 29, 2020

Skills and Training Are Important—But They Alone Won’t Accelerate Upward Mobility for Workers

The problem isn’t a skills shortage, but a lack of clear pathways into good jobs that offer economic security and opportunities for advancement.

Sheryl Pardo

Demographic disparities October 29, 2020

An Equitable COVID-19 Recovery Depends on Dismantling Racial Inequities in the Workplace and the Labor Market

Improving baseline job quality, increasing worker power and voice, and disaggregating data by race and ethnicity are key steps to ensuring the labor market better serves workers of color.

Wesley Jenkins

Research

Demographic disparities September 28, 2020

Racial Inequality in the Labor Market and Employment Opportunities

This brief explores the persistent inequities and disparities in outcomes experienced by people of color in the U.S. labor market through key data points, delves into root causes based on a review of the evidence, and identifies key gaps in our knowledge of why and how labor market inequality endures.

K. Steven Brown