The geography of need: Spatial distribution of barriers to employment in metropolitan Detroit

Although several studies examine the barriers to employment that limit the employability. of welfare recipients, they have not analyzed how these barriers might be different for residents of central cities than for residents in surrounding suburban areas. We consider how the prevalence of barriers to employment varies by race and place in metropolitan Detroit. We find that the prevalence of mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence barriers is higher in suburban areas, and that structural barriers are higher in the central city.