Economic Opportunity
New Report: Economic Contributions of Black Workers in Minnesota
February 6th, 2023
The black workforce in Minnesota has made a significant impact on our state’s economy and society since the days of Henry Bonga. Black workers have contributed to the growth of various industries, including healthcare, education, and service.
Dr. Bruce Corrie and Emma Corrie, SPHR of the ALANA Community Brain Trust – African, African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American (ALANA) – a multiethnic network of individuals and organizations working to grow capital and build capacity in our ALANA communities, recently released their research on the economic contributions of Black workers in Minnesota today and some policy implications to consider.
The ALANA Brain Trust economic simulation finds that Black workers, who make up 6.6 percent of the Minnesota workforce in 2021, help generate $58 billion in goods and services (as a point of reference, the Governors’ budget proposal for the biennium is $65 billion or the $50+ billion budget of the department of Health and Human Services). They also help support over 300,000 jobs and a tax base of $7.5 billion ( as a point of reference – the 2020 budget of the University of Minnesota was $4.2 billion).
Dr. Bruce Corrie, PhD, Emma Corrie, SPHR (2022)
The research is clear. Black workers are a powerful and critical engine of economic growth in Minnesota, and addressing the disparities they face will benefit both the workers themselves and the wider community.