Between 1980 and 1990, for example, minority participation in the Alameda County work force increased while Non-Hispanic White participation decreased. Minorities also tend to be overrepresented in service sector positions. These jobs are often lower-paying and less stable, yet represent the fastest growing segment of the labor force. The fastest growing sector in the national, as well as Bay Area, economy is services. There are fewer middle income jobs in the service sector, and these tend to be located in suburban areas and linked to the information economy.
Suburban areas dominate the region in the absolute number of new jobs across all wage categories.
This mirrors Oakland's role as a port city as well as a government and business center. While the San Francisco Bay Area is prosperous and vital, its overall economic success disguises the fact that not everyone benefits equally from global economic change. Many metropolitan areas have experienced economic decline or stagnation in part because they have been unable to adapt to the new global economy. The segregation of low-income minorities in cities, combined with the continuing decentralization of employment to the suburbs, present a strong case for constructing an economic development strategy that integrates the needs of cities and suburbs into the region as a whole. Issues Much groundbreaking work has been done recently to help regions and cities address economic development issues.