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final report
final report
BAY AREA BLACK VOICES: EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES OF THE BLACK LABOR FORCE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Key Findings & Recommendations
Published June 8, 2024
Related Topics: Employment Outcomes, Social Empowerment, Workplace Policies and Practices, Racial Equity, Black Labor Force
Despite the Bay Area's reputation for global diversity and tech innovation, income inequality still exists across race and gender, leading to significant economic instability for African Americans. Understanding the impact of employment trends on the workforce is crucial to creating policies that redistribute resources and expand income opportunities for marginalized groups. This qualitative study investigates the employment trends of the Black labor force in the San Francisco Bay Area. It explores how empowerment learning can help improve economic outcomes for Black-identified citizens.
This study focuses on individuals who identify as Black or African American and earn a living as members of the San Francisco Bay Area workforce. Triangulated data includes 45-minute semi-structured interviews, Google Form questionnaires, and reflection memos written by the researcher. In addition, key staff from local community-based organizations (CBOs) also participated in a 45-minute interview and completed an online questionnaire designed to inform organizational policy decisions that aim to improve economic outcomes for African Americans.
This report employs a historical approach to examining quantitative data, current trends, and challenges that reveal critical barriers related to Black employment and retention, as identified by participant responses in this study. The findings and recommendations in this report hold significant implications for the research needs of CBOs, secondary and higher education institutions, local, state, and federal entities, and other groups focused on improving workforce and innovation opportunities for the Black community in the Bay Area and those affected by economic disparities.
Research Questions
What are employment trends for the Black labor force in the San Francisco Bay Area?
How can empowerment learning help African-American adults gain a sense of power, access, and control to improve their economic outcomes?
Key Findings
Racism and discrimination exacerbate the cycle of racial injustice and trauma for the Black labor force.
Black San Francisco Bay Area workers are experiencing the negative effects of racial trauma, which is significantly impacting their overall health and wellness.
Job security often requires Black employees to assimilate into the dominant workplace culture to ensure job stability.
The act of ‘othering’ involves treating individuals as outsiders or different from the majority.
Workplace policies and practices are essential to protecting marginalized groups.
There is value in embedding policies and practices in racial equity-centered, results-based accountability systems in the workplace.
Integrated job search applications and social networks can lead to more efficient and successful job seeking.
Social networks can help San Francisco Black Bay Area job seekers take charge of their career trajectories.
Recommendations & Implications
This report provides implications, recommendations, an Empowerment-Centered Framework for improving Black Employment and Economic Outcomes, and the 7 Principles for Empowerment Leadership as viable solutions for improving Black employment and economic outcomes in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Citation
Allen-Harrison, N. (2024, June 14). Bay Area Black Voices: Employment outcomes of the Black labor force in the San Francisco Bay Area. C2C Impact Engine
Northeastern University. https://sites.google.com/northeastern.edu/outcomes-black-labor-c2c-study/final-report
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