The challenges we faced in 2020 have shown us just how important the work of Prosper CO is. Our employers are more committed than ever to creating an economy that works for all Coloradans – no matter your race, ethnicity or gender.
Here are a few things all employers can implement to advance this work.
Jobs
Before the pandemic, only 35% of women in Colorado were making more than the average annual wage, even though they make up 47% of population. Black women with a college degree or higher in Colorado are 10% less likely to have a good job than white men with only some college or a certificate. We want to move more Coloradans, including women and people of color, into jobs that pay well and have good benefits.
What can you do? Take steps to increase the number of diverse job applicants you are getting. We can help. Contact Lorena Zimmer. Also, save the date for Convening for Opportunity: Confronting Economic Disparity with Raj Chetty, a Prosper CO event in partnership with Bank of America and the Denver Metro Chamber, on March 3. More details to come.
Entrepreneurship
Hispanic and Black Coloradans account for only 5% of all small business ownership, and while we are the best place in the nation for a woman to start a company, women account for only 11.4%. We want to help start and grow more small businesses owned by women and people of color.
What can you do? Invite more women and minority-owned businesses to bid on work with your company. We can help. Just send us your interest and we can work with your procurement team to invite more diverse companies to bid on work and partner with you. Contact Lorena Zimmer.
Homeownership
Fewer than half of Black Coloradans and only 54% of Hispanics or Latinx own their homes, compared with nearly three-quarters of white Coloradans. We want to address housing affordability and ensure more Coloradans have the opportunity to build wealth through homeownership.
What can you do? Educate yourself about the importance of the cost of housing in your neighborhood.
This is the only start. Prosper CO will soon release the top 10 things employers can do to create an economy for all.
Join Prosper CO today to be at the center of this work. Learn more.
Stay safe and be well.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.