Black workers are underrepresented in technology careers. In the U.S., people who self-identify as Black make up 12.4 percent of the population, but just 7.4 percent of the tech industry workforce, and women of color overall accounted for just 4 percent. While Black students made up 6 percent of the computer science and engineering graduates, they were only 3 percent of the total Silicon Valley workforce. That reality poses a risk of growing occupational segregation, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that growth in IT occupations will continue to outpace the broader economy through 2029.
“Even with similar education and training, Black technology professionals earn less than white peers across nearly all education levels,” said Michael Collins, a vice president at JFF. “We want to promote Black economic advancement by interrupting the long-standing pattern of Black learners and workers being concentrated in industries associated with low wages and more susceptible to disruption by technology and automation. In an era where digital and IT skills are in demand across a wide range of industries, we hope that this work will lead us to a deeper understanding of not just barriers, but practices that unlock the potential of Black talent.”
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