by Marie Kurose and Bob Giloth This story was originally published at Prism. A recent government report showed that job openings and hires are falling, which is not surprising given the delta variant’s rise. What is significant is that 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in just one month. But perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising either since many of these jobs often pay low wages and offer few workplace benefits or support. For many workers, these conditions are not worth it, especially if it means putting themselves at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19. The fact is that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) workers disproportionately pay the high cost of low-wage labor. Across economic booms and busts, BIPOC workers are persistently over-represented in low-wage, less stable, and often physically tasking jobs, while underrepresented in positions that offer higher wages, opportunities for upward mobility, and fewer physical risks. The inverse is true for white workers. White workers make higher hourly wages at every education level and have lower unemployment rates than the BIPOC workforce. The effects of COVID-19 exacerbated these gaps. Last year’s uprisings against racism, anti-Blackness, and police brutality reignited calls for racial equity from scores of companies, boosting public understanding of the systemic obstacles facing BIPOC workers in the job market. And while corporate pledges may result in efforts to dismantle racial inequality within those companies, progress at a societal level requires meaningful policy change. Read more