Author
Previous CICD research showed, somewhat surprisingly, that American Indian reservations collectively have a slight advantage over nearby county areas in jobs per adult resident. This article further clarifies that the economic reality facing most American Indians on reservations is quite different. Instead, reservations’ overall edge in jobs per adult resident reflects the influence of a minority of reservations with very high job opportunities, primarily in gaming and government establishments. By contrast, most American Indians and Alaska Natives living on reservations experience low levels of local jobs per adult resident, compared to nearby county areas. This points to the ongoing need to expand and diversify employment opportunities on most reservations.
