Employment

Why It Matters

- As of May 2020, Black and Latina women have the highest rates of unemployment, with 16.5% of Black women and 19% of Latina women unemployed vs. 13.3% unemployment in all people over 16 ¹.

-Prior to the economic devestation of COVID-19, LGBTQ+ people had a 9% unemployment rate vs. 5% in the general population ². Recent reports from May 2020 show LGBTQ+ people are faring worse due to COVID-19, with 17% unemployed vs. 13% of the general population ³.

-Prior to COVID-19, transgender people were unemployed at roughly 3x the rate of the general population (15% vs 5%) ⁴.

-Job instability greatly increases the risk of homelessness and being homeless creates barriers to employment, creating a situation that is extremely difficult to escape. LGBTQ+ people comprise an estimated 20-40% of the houseless population while only representing 5-10% of the general population. Racism is also an enormous contributer to houselessness with Black and Hispanic people making up 40% and 20% of the houseless population when those groups each account for about 12% of the general population⁵.

-Research shows unemployment can have a long lasting negative effect on mental health, increasing the rates of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse⁶.

What We’re Doing

We're working on a country-wide public comprehensive list of job resources, so anyone may access it (check back soon!), and will be offering assistance with resume writing and basic job hunting skills to accepted applicants. We also offer GED tutoring and assistancing with college applications and financial aid forms.

If you have experience with resume writing or interview prep and would like to volunteer please contact us!