40. Community Need For years, good union manufacturing jobs and a stable core of Black-owned businesses supported a strong Black middle class in West Dayton. However, plant closures and industry changes eliminated jobs and created a generational gap in skills and wealth. With the decline in manufacturing and rise in low-wage service industries, 58% of west Daytonians working full-time earn less than a living wage, and 31% of working-age adults live in poverty. 43% of adults in West Dayton have no education beyond high school, and there are few accessible options for skills-based training. As a result, Black workers are more likely to be stuck in lower-wage, lower-skill, and more physically demanding manufacturing jobs and they face significant barriers to advancement.

In entrepreneurship and business ownership, Black founders and business owners also lag behind. Only about 2.3% of Dayton-area businesses are Black-owned. Black entrepreneurs lack access to critical resources needed to start and sustain their businesses. The Urban Manufacturing Alliance’s State of Urban Manufacturing report highlights how disparities in access to capital impact manufacturers of color, including preventing them from accessing equipment and space needed to produce products.

Given the huge economic potential, the importance of manufacturing in our region (employing 19%), and the growing national focus this presents an opportunity for skilled Black workers and nimble entrepreneurs to enter the industry. Black business ownership and employment in higher-paying industries is crucial to reducing the racial wage and wealth gap. The time is now to address barriers to Black entrepreneurs starting new manufacturing businesses and for workers seeking employment in higher-wage sectors of manufacturing. Without access to equipment, production space, or education, Black workers and entrepreneurs will be unable to take advantage of the growing manufacturing industry.