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While poverty rates are higher among LGBT populations as a whole when compared to their heterosexual counterparts, transgender people face particular challenges in the workforce due to transphobia, harassment, and systemic discrimination.  One of the most recent major studies on transgender issues, conducted by the LGBTQ Task Force, found that 14 percent of transgender people are unemployed, more than double the national rate of unemployment. One in four transgender people are underemployed, and 90 percent of transgender people report facing "harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination" at work. Transgender people are also four times as likely as the general population to live in extreme poverty—that number doubles for black transgender people. TransTech Social Enterprises, which was founded in July, is dedicated to leadership and technology skill development for the LGBTQ community, with special emphasis on serving transgender people.  Through an apprenticeship program with four current participants and its program assessment services for organizations working to build greater capacity for trans employees, TransTech is empowering transgender people to build their own careers, skills, and sense of personal value.

Often times, trans* employees will quit and relocate to a different career path, or even put off transitioning, causing further mental distress, as they fear how their employers will react to their need to transition, given the overall lack of legal protection for individuals that do not fit within the binaries defined by our society.  So, many progressive and accepting employers are asking themselves and the community how they can support transgender employees in the workplace.  One of the most important moves forward for employers is to have policies, particularly non-discrimination policies, which protect individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and to make these policies known to all staff, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Having supportive corporate and HR staff is also essential to providing a safe and supportive work environment for all.