Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced on Monday that the city’s getting a $100,000 grant to look at what jobs the city will need after the pandemic has changed so much.
“The study will look at how the pandemic has impacted our workforce and available jobs, identify the growing sectors in our city and assess skills gaps that need to be closed to get our workforce where it needs to be," he said.
Johnson is especially concerned about low-income workers including those who live in southern Dallas. He fears the research may confirm his belief that the pandemic has led to a dwindling supply of low-wage work.
City Council member Casey Thomas chairs the Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee. He's expecting the research to confirm what he sees as a need for "wraparound services" that would comprehensively support workers.
“We’re talking about transportation, childcare, things of that nature," he said. "These services are desperately needed. We want to see how we can connect them with non-profits that are providing some wraparound services, encourage DART to continue to provide bus passes — things of that nature."
The non-profit Bloomberg Philanthropies is funding the research and officials say results of the study are expected in September.
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