The post pandemic economic recovery has included considerable growth in the transportation and warehousing industries. The sector gained more than one million jobs between February 2020 and February 2023, and data show that Black men are overrepresented in transportation and warehousing occupations. This shift during the economic recovery appears to have presented a resurgence in the labor market status of Black workers, particularly Black men.

If Black men are indeed regaining ground lost in the American labor market during the last half century, it is important to assess the quality and sustainability of jobs gained. This research study seeks to examine whether the postpandemic transportation and warehousing sector has created more job opportunities for Black workers without college degrees, and whether those jobs are durable, quality jobs with respect to wages, working conditions, and risks of automation and displacement. The project may also engage union workers in this sector to provide greater context to findings and uncover potential implications for how to shape accessible, sustainable, and quality jobs and working conditions. 

This study aims to provide key evidence for understanding whether and how current labor market conditions are creating opportunities for workers who have historically been left behind.