University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has released a new white paper, “Underrepresented Americans: How The Pandemic Rooted Societal Barriers and Derailed Career Trajectories,” authored by, Juana Lang, Ed.D., M.Ed., faculty in the College and recent fellow of the University’s Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research (CLSOR), and Lucinda Hines, DHA, MBA, fellow, Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR). The white paper leverages consecutive Career Optimism Index findings to understand the pandemic impact on existing societal barriers and career trajectories.
While U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this year that the unemployment rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels, the 2023 Career Optimism Index® study found that over a third of workers, 38 percent, say they do not feel like they have the ability to advance in their career at their current job.
The white paper explores changes in career trajectories of underrepresented populations from 2021 through 2023 and barriers experienced by these groups during this period. The white paper finds that people of color and workers from different ethnic backgrounds, including women and Americans making under $50,000 a year experienced drastic career derailment compared to their counterparts. It also finds that deep-rooted societal roadblocks such as financial insecurity, perceived deficiencies in job preparedness to face the future job market, and a decline in emotional well-being were exacerbated for this population stratum.
“Even before the pandemic, many hourly-paid workers in the U.S. were worried about their finances. Career trajectories were derailed, and underrepresented Americans felt it with greater force,” states Lang. “Employers and policy makers can help address these disparities and foster a more resilient workforce better equipped to navigate today’s workplace demands.”
Lang is a part-time college instructor and a full-time K-12 educator with an extensive career in Texas and Florida schools for over 25 years. As a research fellow in CLSOR, she also works in different research teams in association with CEITR and is part of the mentorship program developed by the University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies. She earned her doctorate and master’s degrees in education with the University of Phoenix.
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