Field Notes: Reducing Inequality and Raising Wages by 2032

A report published this month by Heron knowledge partner the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) finds that within 16 years, people of color will become the majority of the American working class—defined as working people without a bachelor’s degree. This impending demographic change has already occurred in the population under age five, a clear indication of the urgency of addressing the multitude of issues facing people of color like unequal access to education, opportunity and wages. Multiethnic, multigendered and multigenerational coalitions pushing for structural and policy changes will be key in improving the living standards of these workers and thereby supporting the health of our economy and society overall. 

The report shows the projected racial/ethnic composition of the labor force between 2013 and 2032:

This change in population demographics will primary occur due to increasing birth rates and net international migration of non-whites. The report looks at wage inequality as the most pressing common issue in the increasingly diverse workforce.

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