Let’s get something straight…

Just because a shiny new company plants itself in the middle of a low-income area doesn’t mean that the people living there will get a slice of the pie.

In fact, more often than not, the high-paying jobs go to outsiders while locals are left fighting over scraps.

And if you’re living in one of these areas, you already know the truth—big companies come in, collect their tax breaks, and leave the community behind.

Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know

You’ve probably heard the promises: “We’re bringing jobs! This development will help the local economy!” Sounds great, right? But look a little closer, and you’ll see the same old story.

Let’s talk about Opportunity Zones for a minute. These zones were created to attract businesses to economically distressed areas by offering massive tax incentives.

But here’s the kicker: A 2020 report by the Urban Institute showed that many of these investments aren’t helping the locals at all.

Instead of creating jobs for residents, these projects often bring in outsiders to fill high-paying positions, leaving locals stuck in the same low-wage jobs—or worse, no jobs at all.

You see, while businesses come in with all the right words, they import their workforce. They bring in their high-paid executives, managers, and skilled workers from outside the community.

Meanwhile, the locals? They get stuck with whatever low-wage roles are left—if there’s anything left at all. That means janitorial jobs, retail positions, and other minimum wage work that keeps people in poverty, not out of it.

The Gentrification Playbook

You’ve seen it happen. Big companies move in, promising revitalization. But instead of lifting the community, they drive up rents, displace families, and hire people from other areas.

A Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report confirmed what you’ve feared all along—gentrification brings jobs, sure, but not for the locals.

The high-paying jobs are reserved for outsiders with the right degrees, the right experience, and the right connections.

So, while these companies are cashing in on tax incentives and making the area look good on paper, the reality is that the people who’ve lived there their whole lives are barely scraping by…

…still stuck in low-wage roles or worse, pushed out of their homes due to rising costs.

What About “Economic Development” Programs?

It sounds fancy, but don’t be fooled. Economic development programs have been touted as the solution for struggling areas.

The idea is that companies will swoop in, create jobs, and save the day.

But here’s the truth, according to the Brookings Institution: These programs often fail miserably when it comes to helping local residents.

Companies get their tax credits, build their shiny new offices, and then… they import workers from more affluent areas to fill the high-paying roles.

This leaves locals with a front-row seat to all the new opportunities they can’t access. They’re watching the future unfold right in front of them, but they’re not invited.

All they get are the crumbs, like the service jobs that barely pay minimum wage.

Job Polarization: Another Kick in the Teeth

It gets worse. A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York pointed out the problem of “job polarization.”

That’s when new companies create two types of jobs: high-skill, high-wage jobs, and low-skill, low-wage jobs.

Guess who gets the high-paying ones?

Not the locals.

The locals get left behind in the same dead-end roles, while outsiders snatch up the high-paying gigs.

It’s a sick joke, really. The companies swoop in, promise jobs, and then create roles the community isn’t qualified to fill.

So, while the area gets new businesses, the locals remain stuck at the bottom.

Tax Credit Programs That Don’t Deliver

Take the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) program, for example. It’s supposed to spur growth in low-income areas, and on the surface, it looks like it’s working.

But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that many of the high-paying jobs created through this program aren’t going to the locals.

According to a 2021 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the real beneficiaries are outsiders who come in to take the best jobs, leaving the locals in the dust.

So, What’s the Point?

The point is simple: Building new companies in low-income areas doesn’t automatically benefit the people who live there. In fact, it often leaves them worse off.

The high-paying jobs go to people from outside the community, while locals are left with fewer opportunities for economic advancement.

The companies get their tax breaks. The outsiders get the jobs. And the community? They’re stuck watching, powerless to participate in their own so-called “revitalization.”

The Real Fear

Here’s why the community’s fears are justified:

They’ve seen it happen before.

They’ve seen the promises, the shiny new buildings, and the grand openings.

And they’ve seen how it plays out. Big companies come in, promise the moon, and leave the locals with crumbs.

The high-paying jobs that could change lives aren’t going to the people who need them most—they’re going to outsiders.

So, the next time someone says, “We’re bringing jobs to your community,” remember this:

Jobs don’t mean anything if they’re not accessible to the people who live there.

The Real Solution: Jobs Alone Aren’t Enough—Skills Training Is the Key

So, what’s the fix? Here’s the hard truth: Simply plopping new companies into low-income areas isn’t going to cut it.

If you want real change—change that actually benefits the people living there—those jobs have to be paired with skills training.

That’s how you bridge the gap between what the community needs and what these companies are offering.

You see, if you introduce a program that just creates jobs, but the locals don’t have the skills to fill those positions, you’re doing more harm than good.

You’re building opportunities that the community can’t access. It’s like setting a feast in front of someone starving but never giving them a way to reach the table.

What’s needed is a two-pronged approach: bring in companies and give the people in these areas the skills they need to land those high-paying jobs. This means real-world training in fields like technology, engineering, sales, and other high-demand industries.

Programs that teach practical skills and offer apprenticeships, internships, and on-the-job learning can be the difference between locals getting stuck in minimum-wage jobs and stepping into careers that break the poverty cycle.

The goal shouldn’t just be “jobs for the community.” It should be jobs the community can grow into. By combining economic development with targeted skills training, you create opportunities for people to move up the ladder.

You give them the tools they need to access those high-paying roles instead of importing outsiders to fill them.

So, if you’re serious about revitalizing a low-income area, don’t just bring in jobs—bring in the training.

Teach the people to fish so they can feed themselves for a lifetime. Anything less is just another broken promise.

And that’s what the community needs—real opportunity, not just more empty words.