Posted on 06/05/2008 1:53:19 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
The nation's economic downturn — especially a slump in the construction industry — is having a disproportionate impact on Hispanic workers, a study released Wednesday found.
Hispanics have lost nearly 250,000 jobs over the past year in the construction sector alone, pushing their unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) to 6.5 percent in the first quarter of this year. By comparison, the unemployment rate for non-Hispanics was 4.7 percent, said the study by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group in Washington.
Two years ago, the gap was much smaller. At the end of 2006, the unemployment rate for Latinos was 4.9 percent, while non-Latinos were at 4.4 percent.
"Hispanics had a rough time in the labor market in 2007," said Rakesh Kochhar, associate director for research at the Pew Hispanic Center and author of the report.
Latino immigrants, especially Mexicans and recent arrivals, have been hurt the most, said the study, which is based on recent data from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Despite the increase in unemployment, there are no signs that Latinos are leaving the labor force, the study found. "For now, they are here and actively looking for work," Kochhar said.
Latinos make up about 14 percent of U.S. workers. More than half of working-age Latinos are immigrants.
The latest trends in the labor market represent a dramatic reversal for Hispanic workers.
For several years, construction was the mainstay of job growth for Hispanics.
Even as home building stumbled in 2006, Hispanics found nearly 300,000 new jobs in the construction industry from the first quarter of 2006 to the first quarter of 2007, the study said.
"The ongoing slump in construction over the past year has wiped out those gains, virtually in their entirety," Kochhar said.
The study also found that Latino construction workers saw a nearly 7 percent decline in wages in 2007.
Immigrants in the study include all foreign-born people living in the United States, including those who are in the United States illegally. The study does not identify whether the workers are legal or illegal because the source material from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not include that information.
The Pew Hispanic Center has estimated that illegal immigrants account for about 5 percent of U.S. workers and about one-third of foreign-born workers. Illegal immigrants are over-represented in certain industries such as construction where they account for 12 percent of employees, according to the estimates.
The study also found:
• Hispanic women had a greater increase in unemployment than did Hispanic men. During 2007, the unemployment rate for Hispanic women jumped from 5.6 percent to 7 percent.
• The unemployment rate of Latino immigrants was 7.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, marking the first time since 2003 that a higher percentage of foreign-born Latinos was unemployed than native-born Latinos.
• Mexican immigrants suffered some of the largest increases in unemployment. The unemployment rate for Mexican immigrants increased from 5.5 percent to 8.4 percent over the past year.
No, what they are actively doing is waiting for a new POTUS to grant another amnesty. Given the 2 candidates that makes perfect sense for them.
Hispanics have lost nearly 250,000 jobs over the past year in the construction sector
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Well that’s good news for 250,000 American workers who were unemployed...
How many of these are illegals?
I am finding it hard to be concerned.
Consider an increase in gang activity in the coming future. It will quickly spread to the suburbs and beyond.
Willful blindness as usual. If there were a cure for it, it would be the same as the cure for stupid, which we all know is incurable.
Via Con Dios.
Two years later we hired some Puerto Ricans. What a joke that was. They stole over 2000 hours from us. The whole time applying for minority loans and mortgages. They have moved on to their next victim.
Viva Puerto Rico! We love our country so much we bankrupted it!1 On to the US! Osceola County Florida, if the unions don't work out can we come to your country next! VIVA ......
If they're here illegally my reaction to their plight can be summed up in a two word phrase, and the first word is "tough".
I’m with you; dry me a lizard.
Holy Crap! They were Timelords like Dr. Who?
Just kidding. Can you elaborate on that though?
We didn't hire illegals after a hurricane, but the two legal contractors we hired did -- and our experience was exactly the opposite. It was, in short, a homeowner's nightmare, requiring constant oversight, multiple (futile) callbacks and shoddy work.
As a matter of fact, I suspect that it's not the lack of construction that's put these people out of work, but the lack of hurricanes hitting the US in the past few years. I've heard there's now more Hispanics in NO then there are blacks, for instance.
As for the rest of your post: it's kind of early to be drinking, isn't it?
American citizen workers = ZERO.
American automakers = getting HUGE bang for their buck?
Lower prices for US citizens to whom they'll market their goods?????? Very large sarcasm!!!!!
Mexico's auto unions agree to cut wages
Wage concessions were apparently key to persuading Ford Motor Co. to direct many of the 4,500 new jobs involved in building Fiestas to the Ford plant in Cuautitlan, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Union leaders at the plant told The Associated Press they had agreed to cut wages for new hires to about half of the current wage of $4.50 per hour.
"We agreed to it," said Ford union leader Juan Jose Sosa Arreola. "We need to be more competitive. That's the truth. That's a reality."
Do they rank ahead of, between, or after Women & Children?
I have told a few FReeper to blow off for less. As for my drinking, maybe you should tap off your self bro!!!
Well, it's nice to know those that defecate on our laws and sovereignty, that are bringing in hundreds of tons of dope, choking off our social services, jails, classrooms, hospitals and basically undermining our entire system are "Very Honorable" in your words. Not to mention the tsunami of crime victims they've left in their wake, and what they've done to wages in many industries.
Seems if they work for low wages, your ready to overlook all these little minor things.
Nice.
My mistake, I read illegal.
Whoop!
No worries dragnet2. Stay safe this 2008 season!
FReeper in Florida!
You have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm not going there -- too painful.
Have a nice, angry, spiteful life.
Well that’s good news for 250,000 American workers who were unemployed...
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You want to explain that? Obviously, you didn't read the article.
tsk-tsk-tsk.
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