Economic Development for Everyone Creating employment equity through local policy Sarah Halvorson-Fried Virginia Tech

Examining policies and practices based on racial equity

Presentation overview Why is racial equity important for economic development? What is going on? How do we change it?

Why does equity matter to planners?

Why do we want income equality in our communities? “We all do better when we all do better” – Senator Paul Wellstone

What is going on?

What causes this disparity? Spatial mismatch (Kain, 1968) may be part of the problem, but not all.

What causes this disparity? “We now understand that a number of factors, including racial discrimination, lack of social networks, and poor human capital development, prevent jobseekers from finding work even when jobs are located nearby” (Chapple, 2006, p. 323).

Inequitable policies and practices - At organizational and government levels - Intentional and unintentional

Inequitable policies and practices - Inaccessibility (e.g. poor public transit access) - Employment outreach through exclusive networks - Lack of training availability - Discriminatory hiring and retention practices

How do we address this?

Some possibilities Local employment policies Specialized incentives Land use and transportation Inclusive public programs

Local employment policies - Targeted outreach - Networking opportunities - Internship opportunities - Leading by example - Ban the Box

Specialized incentives - Entrepreneur incentives and educational programs - Incentives to firms guaranteeing equitable hiring practices

How should we work with employers?

Examining employer motivations can inform effective interventions.

1) Legal obligation 2) Beliefs about fairness and justice 3) Performance augmentation 4) Leadership power Examining employer motivations can inform effective interventions.

References Chapple, K. (2006). Overcoming mismatch: Beyond dispersal, mobility, and development strategies. Journal of the American Planning Association, 72(3), Dialogue On Race, Montgomery County, VA. (2014). Available at: Emsellem, M., & Rodriguez, M. N. (2015). Advancing a federal fair chance hiring agenda: Background check reforms in over 100 cities, counties, and states pave the way for presidential action. National Employment Law Project. Available at: Agenda.pdf Agenda.pdf Kain, J. F. (1968). Housing segregation, Negro employment, and metropolitan decentralization. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Spahr, C. (2014). Milwaukee’s transit-jobs mismatch. State Smart Transportation Initiative. Available at: U.S. Census Bureau. (2013). Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, S2301 Employment status [Status]. Available at: