Having a job is an essential driver of economic stability. A robust regional economy also relies on employers’ ability to attract, hire and retain talent. Throughout America's history, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian residents have faced unequal barriers to employment, including the spatial mismatch of jobs, transportation and housing, explicit and implicit employer discrimination, patterns of hiring within exclusive social networks, or preferences for credentials and professional experiences that are less accessible to people of color.
Studies of the region’s response to the last three economic downturns reveal that workers of color are often the first to be laid off and the last to be hired in times of full employment. In an inclusive regional economy, employers would find value in talent from all racial and ethnic groups, making jobs equally accessible to all workers, regardless of their race and ethnicity.