by Bay Area Equity Atlas
The Bay Area is a global economic powerhouse, but not all workers and families share equally in the prosperity.
Our latest analysis, the last in our Black in the Bay series, explores the enduring occupational segregation that locks Black workers out of the region’s highest-paying fields. We found that the systemic concentration of Black workers in low-wage jobs — and their underrepresentation in sectors like tech, finance and healthcare — has remained largely unchanged for the last 20 years.
Key findings
- Systemic underemployment continues: Black workers in the Bay Area face lower labor force participation, lower employment rates, and fewer full-time opportunities compared to the overall population.
- Black women earn less: Black women are more likely to be employed than Black men but earn lower median wages than both Black men and all women workers in the Bay Area.
- Pay gaps persist: Black workers earn lower wages than their peers, with disparities increasing in higher-wage fields and among those with access to higher levels of education.
What you can do
Transforming these disparities to create a better Bay Area for us all requires lasting policy change, alongside community and workplace organizing.
Read the report to better understand occupational segregation’s impact on Black workers, share these findings to advocate for necessary workforce policies, and watch our latest webinar to learn from local leaders working to create a more equitable region.
Learn more at bayareaequityatlas.org.
