Field workers tend to crops near Castroville. A study finds that a disproportionate majority of workers in the state's most essential jobs, such as agriculture, are occupied by people of color. (Photo by Sharon Mollerus/Flickr)

The Bay Area’s essential workforce is disproportionately composed of some of the region’s most disadvantaged groups who are being put at greater risk during the coronavirus pandemic due to the nature of their jobs and their socio-economic realities, according to a new study by the Bay Area Equity Atlas.

Over the past two months, since the region has been on strict lockdown to help slow the spread of the virus, only work deemed essential has been allowed to continue.

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Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.