Black essential workers need far more health and economic protections

Black workers are more likely to be frontline essential workers and more likely to be low-wage essential workers. For example, 35 percent of nursing assistants—an essential occupation with a mean hourly wage of just $14.22—are Black. Further, some of the most significant outbreaks have been in occupations with a high number of Black workers. The authors suggest that federal government has not sufficiently enforced safety standards and is not holding employers accountable. Beyond enforcing standards and ensuring adequate protective equipment, federal supports could include hazard pay for frontline workers, while large employers could extend temporary pay increases (some of which have expired already). #covid-19 #racialequity #workforce