Economy - Employment Gap
Employment Gap, white – of color, ages 16 - 64
5.6
percentage points
Percent of Population ages 16 - 64 Employed, White Alone
73.7%
73.7%
Percent of Population ages 16 - 64 Employed, of Color
70.1%
70.1%
Why do we track this? Strong communities provide opportunities for employment to all members. Disparities in employment between any population groups are driven by multiple factors, ranging from educational outcomes and access to career training opportunities, discrimination, and differences in labor force participation, among many others. Comparing subgroups can expose the need to further investigate potential causes for disparities.
How else can this be measured? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also publishes employment rate based on the civilian non-institutionalized population, which excludes members of the military (non-civilian) and people in assisted living or other residential facilities who cannot participate in the workforce (institutionalized population). Not all data sets are available at the Larimer county scale, including employment by race/ethnicity.
Why did we use this source? U.S. Census estimates are available at the county scale and estimates for labor force and employment stats are available by race and ethnicity. Colorado's State Demography Office produces estimates and generate forecasts for populations at the county level.
Why did we use this source? U.S. Census estimates are available at the county scale and estimates for labor force and employment stats are available by race and ethnicity. Colorado's State Demography Office produces estimates and generate forecasts for populations at the county level.
Data Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder. Tables B32001 and B23002H (1-year estimates). Percent working is calculated as total number of employed and active duty military residents divided by the total population estimates (for individual or summed age groups). The Of Color population is calculated as the inverse of the White Alone (non-Hispanic) population, which accounts for Census ACS designations: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, two or more races, and Hispanic or Latino.
- Colorado Department of Local Affairs, State Demography Office. County Race Estimates and Forecasts.
Related Dashboard Measures
- Labor Force Participation Rate (Economy)
- Jobs Change (Economy)
- Jobs (Vital Stats)
- Unemployment Rate (Vital Stats)
Additional Information and Other Data Sources
- Census definition of Labor Force related terms
- BLS Current Population Survey: data on race and ethnicity in the civilian, non-institutionalized working population.
- "Demographic trends and economic well-being". Pew Research Center. On Views of Race and Inequality, Blacks and Whites Are Worlds Apart. 27 June 2016.
- U.S. Department of Labor Special Reports Reports on employment of various populations (race, ethnicity, gender) during Recession recovery (2011), archived in the Cornell University Digital Commons.