Tech giants’ commitments to their service workers have meant over 14,000 people can make rent, see a doctor, and pay bills during the pandemic.
In the early days of COVID-19, nearly all major Silicon Valley tech corporations announced they would maintain pay and benefits for their subcontracted workers while campuses are closed. This has been a crucial anchor of stability for the Black and Brown communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 — 64% of unionized tech service workers are Black or Latinx.
Yet in the past couple months, a few outliers like Yahoo (now owned by Verizon) and Lyft have chosen to abandon their workers, taking away wages and healthcare from several hundred people in the middle of a pandemic.
This study looks at what the impact would be if Silicon Valley tech giants laid off their thousands of blue-collar workers. Among the key findings:
- The number of unemployed workers in Silicon Valley could increase by more than 10%.
- Up to 12,000 service workers could lose health insurance coverage, along with family members who depend on the coverage.
- An estimated 6,500 families with children could be at risk of being unable to pay rent.
- An estimated 8,300 renters could be at risk of being unable to pay rent.
