First Source Hiring: An Essential Tool for Linking the Poor to Employment or a “Dead Letter” Progressive Policy?

Abstract

Although cities have revived as economic centers for the middle and upper classes, poor and minority communities continue to be locked out of urban job markets. First Source Hiring is designed to act as both a linkage program and a targeted hiring rule to ensure low-income residents have opportunities to work on publicly sponsored projects. A first wave of FSH began in the 1980s but was abandoned due to political push-back. A second wave emerged in response to growing inequality in the 1990s and 2000s. In this article, we review the literature on FSH development and implementation through a Four Rs evaluation framework. Then, we use case studies of FSH for Los Angeles World Airports, the Atlanta BeltLine, and the City of San Francisco to assess the potential of “second-wave” FSH programs to make meaningful contributions to linking disadvantaged job seekers with opportunities.