Inequality in decline? Tech jobs fade, waitstaff jobs boom.

On one side of Chauncy Street in downtown Boston last week, laid-off tech workers came to the headquarters of internet provider Starry to drop off their company equipment and say goodbye. “It’s sad,” says the security guard downstairs. “I tell them I’m sorry.”

On the other side of Chauncy Street, the Lotus Test Kitchen is hopping. You can smell the spices even before opening the door. Inside, seven food-prep workers make rice bowls for delivery services that will bring lunch to customers all around Greater Boston. The newest employee, who...