Analyzing Economic Disparities Related to Race & Ethnicity in the Labor Force Using Census Data

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership in collaboration with the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) and the Labor Market Information (LMI) Institute, welcomes Cameron Macht as he presents, “Analyzing Economic Disparities Related to Race & Ethnicity in the Labor Force Using Census Data.” Using demographic details from Census data, researchers with the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) Labor Market Information office have started publishing a series of reports on Minnesota’s labor force and economic disparities by race and ethnicity. Black or African Americans and Hispanic or Latino residents in particular face some of the deepest disparities in our country and Minnesota, as foundational systemic barriers to prosperity persist. As policymakers, community leaders, businesses, and workforce leaders craft approaches to remove these barriers, one thing we hear consistently is that disaggregated data by race is essential.