Thread: Hispanic employment rises and falls with construction, study

Hispanic employment rises and falls with construction, study finds
By JENALIA MORENO
Houston Chronicle Copyright 2008

The unemployment rate for Hispanics is nearly two percentage points higher than for non-Latinos, the Pew Hispanic Center said in a study released today, in what its researchers called a "dramatic reversal.

"To put it bluntly, Hispanics had a rough time in the labor market in 2007," said Rakesh Kochhar, Pew Hispanic Center associate director and author of "Latino Labor Report, 2008: Construction Reverses Job Growth for Latinos."

Hispanics benefited during the building boom earlier this decade, but now the credit crunch and dip in home building are hurting them more than non-Hispanics, Pew researchers found.

"For several years, the construction sector was a mainstay for Hispanic workers, particularly immigrant workers," Kochhar said.

The Hispanic unemployment rate increased to 6.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, seasonally adjusted, compared to 4.7 percent for non-Hispanics. At the end of 2006, the Latino unemployment rate was 4.9 percent compared to 4.4 percent for non-Latinos.

For Hispanic immigrants, the unemployment rate hit 7.5 percent in the first quarter of 2008, the first time in five years that unemployment has been higher among immigrant than native-born Latinos.

Hispanic construction workers lost almost 250,000 jobs between the first quarter of last year and the same period of 2008 , the research organization said. And 221,000 of those Latinos who put down their hammers and drills were immigrants.

"They are going to be among the most vulnerable in a downturn in an industry that has led the downturn," said Kochhar, noting that many of these workers don't speak English and have little education.

Unemployment also rose for Hispanic women last year, from 5.6 percent to 7 percent, as Latinas lost jobs in manufacturing, meatpacking and the restaurant and hotel business.

The economic slowdown hasn't driven Latino immigrants out of the U.S. labor market. The percentage of working-age Latino immigrants either employed or seeking employment has remained steady, the study found. But the population of Latino immigrants age 16 and older increased less in 2006 and 2007 than in past years, the study said.

Between the first quarters of 2005 and 2006, the Latino working age immigrant population increased by 784,000. But from the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of this year, the Latino working age population increased 462,000.

"It could be the economic slowdown. It could be increased immigration enforcement. It could be better opportunities back home," Kochhar said.

Latinos make up 14.2 percent of the nation's labor force. More than half of working-age Latinos are immigrants. Pew estimates illegal immigrants make up 5 percent of the overall U.S. labor force and more than half hail from Mexico.

Most of the data comes from the Current Population Study, a monthly U.S. Census survey of 60,000 households.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bus ... 18554.html

Well, if unemployment is such a big problem why don't they go back to the farm?

Can't hardly read these kind of articles when a close relative has been practically pushed out of construction work because of illegals.

About once a week I see some new small scale construction project pop up around my local neighborhood--with illegals. It may be a home remodel, sidewalk repair, small office project or store. They always seem to find a crew somewhere.

But the big events will be a multibillion dollar bridge (and later highway) a project that most citizens here oppose. And it would only be the beginning as the region prepares for unprecedented growth. Yet it is being pushed relentlessly forward by powerful interests: planners, contractors, commercial interests, labor unions. In other words, the usual interests behind open immigration. It all goes hand in hand: first the public works projects, then the migratory workforce (now internationalized) then the workers' advocate organizations, then more demands for improved infrastructure, ad infinitum. Since these have to be considered under open meetings law the public hearings drag out for months. I warned one governmental council that if they start down this slippery slope, they had better enjoy holding meetings and listening to hours of comments from upset citizens.

I am sure he is referring to Illegal immigrants....can't tell anymore, but I agree construction was a job many non-graduating Americans have depended on for decades, until this government gladly and willfully displaced Americans with cheap illegal alien labor.

Construction has always been a feast or famine industry...what bothers me is that suddenly it's just an hispanic job. My ex did it for years till the reality of a regular pay check became a necessity because of a child. All these sorts of jobs are dependant on the economy and are never 100% guarenteed full time jobs. They sure weren't crying the blues when tons of regular American citizens were out of work when the economy took a dive. Same with retail, restaurant and everything else. I've always wanted what I would call a "real job" where I knew I had regular hours, guarenteed 40 hour work week, holidays off.......I was either worked to death 24/7 with no life or piddling around between being worked to death or nothing.....depending on the "profit margins".