EBflexi: Making our labor market more accessible

National data suggests a third of our region’s adults seek work but not a regular hours job. They have childcare needs, medical issues, family caregiving, or existing partial employment that changes unpredictably day-to-day. Work has to fit around their complex lives.

We know this search for personalized hours of employment is skewed towards for the young,  women, communities of color, and our lowest-income households. Too often our residents in this situation fall through gaps in government and charitable programs which focus on creating traditional jobs. Many turn to “gig work” apps or the shadow economy for survival work.

OVERVIEW

East Bay EDA, Oakland Thrives, and Workers Lab are exploring the launch of a locally controlled labor market platform called EBflexi. It is based on a system originally developed in UK government programs, funded by national U.S. philanthropies, and already launched by the City of Long Beach, CA. This model was the subject of a webinar that East Bay EDA held in October 2020 that led to this story in the The New Yorker.

The technology enabling EBflexi is built around protections, control, and individualized progression for each work-seeker plus alignment and quality of workforce for local businesses, public agencies, and organizations. Everyone working through EBflexi can have W2 status with full benefits and employment protections.

RESEARCH

Research is underway in our area with Community Organizations and public sector partners. We are keen to understand how our region might support irregular-work seekers, help them towards stability when they are ready, while enabling targeted upskilling, and responsive community-level services. 

We will update this page as research progresses.

PARTNERS

CONTACT US

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