This issue of Minnesota Economic Trends focuses on racial and economic disparities in Minnesota. While the state economy has made a strong comeback from the recession – and by many measures now ranks among the best in the country – not all racial and ethnic groups in Minnesota have shared in the recovery.
Articles by DEED analysts in this issue document the disparities, while guest columnists offer their ideas for how we can break down the educational and employment barriers that are preventing some groups from moving ahead.
Closing the racial gap is not only the right thing to do, it is the necessary thing to do if we’re to provide our economy and businesses with the workforce necessary for success.
Download the full pdf file or select the links below to view individual stories.
We chose to focus on a single topic in this issue of Trends for an important reason. Racial disparities in the workforce are a critical challenge that will affect all Minnesotans and the economy.
Despite long-standing awareness that our populations of color generally, and our black community in particular, have failed to benefit fully by an improving economy, these disparities persist and by many measures have worsened.
Declining growth in the labor force means we cannot afford to waste any human capital among our current and up-and-coming workers.
Wage and employment disparities for minority workers have changed little over the last two decades.
The number of jobs held by minority workers in Greater Minnesota has more than doubled over the past two decades.
People of color held 11.3 percent of the jobs in Minnesota in 2014, concentrated in administrative and support services, health care and social assistance, and accommodation and food services.
Minority-owned firms grew by 53.1 percent in Minnesota between 2007 and 2012, with revenue up 57.9 percent over that period.
Getting a post-secondary degree helps people find better-paying jobs, but race and gender are factors in how much they earn.
Black-white disparity in household incomes in Minnesota is widening and necessitates a policy response.
The state of Minnesota cannot afford to wait any longer to respond to the educational and employment needs of the American Indian community.
Minnesota is facing a demographic squeeze as baby boomers retire and a smaller group enters, composed of a much higher share of people of color than in the past.
