10 ways American workers view their future economic opportunities

Jun 4, 2021

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There are a range of equality issues in the U.S. recovery from COVID-19. Image: Unsplash/Christina @ wocintechchat.com

Victoria Masterson

Senior Writer, Forum Agenda

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Ten insights of the current state of American opportunity

The thoughts of American workers. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

a chart showing American workers overall are not feeling optimistic

42% of all respondents agreed they had opportunities to find a good job. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

charts showing many Americans feel their identity unfairly affects their job prospects

Black respondents were 4.5 times more likely than white respondents to say their race was a barrier to future job prospects. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

chart showing immigrants and people of colour were relatively optimistic in outlook

First and second generation immigrants and workers of colour had some of the most optimistic views about economic opportunity in this survey. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

a chart showing that half of Americans say they’re on the financial brink

26% percent of respondents say their living situation is less secure now than it was 12 months ago. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

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What's the World Economic Forum doing about diversity, equity and inclusion?

a chart showing how COVID-19 has worsened existing inequalities

Women were the most likely to face these problems over the last 12 months. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

a survey showing that healthcare access is challenging for many people

Healthcare is a top-three barrier to the wellbeing of one-third of respondents. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

chart showing access to childcare is a critical barrier, especially for women

Sixteen percent of the US workforce are dependent on childcare to work. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

a chart showing that rural Americans risk being left behind in the world of work

People living in rural areas face “unique headwinds”. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

charts showing that contract, freelance, and temporary workers would overwhelmingly prefer permanent employment

Sixty-two percent of contract, freelance, and temporary workers said they would prefer to work as permanent employees. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

chart showing that American workers are keen to train – but cost is a barrier for many

Cost is a barrier for over half of people to complete potential training. Image: Mckinsey & Company American opportunity survey

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.