Occupational segregation on the Central Coast funnels workers of color into the lowest paid and most physically demanding frontline jobs. People of color made up 99 percent of farmworkers, 83 percent of cooks, 81 percent of construction workers, 79 percent of janitors and building cleaners, and 72 percent of food preparation workers in 2021. Latinx workers, particularly immigrants, dominated these categories: 92 percent of farmworkers were Latinx immigrants, a higher share than in California overall.

White workers concentrated in frontline roles that offer higher pay, job stability, and benefits, such as registered nurses and skilled trades with union protections. Asian American workers made up 15 percent of registered nurses but only ten percent of lower-wage personal care aides in 2021. Black workers appeared most often in personal care, janitorial, and construction laborer positions.

Occupational segregation this pronounced reflects structural barriers in the labor market. Understanding which barriers matter most in which industries requires further research into hiring practices, credentialing systems, and workplace advancement patterns, among other avenues of inquiry, across the Central Coast.

Insights & Analyses: Central Coast

• Workers of color make up 99 percent of farmworkers, 83 percent of cooks, 81 percent of construction workers, 79 percent of janitors and building cleaners, 74 percent of truck drivers, and 72 percent of food preparation workers, with Latinx workers comprising the largest percentages for each of these occupations. 
• In the Central Coast, 92 percent of all farmworkers are Latinx immigrants, a proportion higher than the state as a whole (82 percent). However, estimates of the number of farmworkers are difficult to pin down because of the employment cycle, worker mobility, and legal status; nonetheless, for Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, 2021 estimates are just over 12,000, 9,800, and 1,500, respectively.
• Black workers in frontline occupations were primarily employed as personal care aides, janitors and building cleaners, and construction laborers.
• In the Central Coast a majority of both cooks and construction laborers are Latinx immigrants (54 percent).
• Among select frontline healthcare occupations, about 15 percent of registered nurses are Asian American, and 10 percent are personal care aides.