DESPITE JOBS CRISIS, LATINOS ARE WORKING HARD TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA’S ECONOMY

In advance of Labor Day, NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, highlighted the contributions of the nation’s 22 million Latino workers to the American economy. New analysis from NCLR shows that Latinos are employed in high numbers in industries that are growing despite the recession. Hispanics are projected to continue to drive the growth of the U.S. labor force in the coming decades.

“This Labor Day, we honor the millions of Latino workers who are doing their part to keep America running, including the nearly three million Hispanics who have not given up searching for work as the recession drags on,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “In the face of severe unemployment and underemployment, Latinos are determined to help the country get back on a path to prosperity. Thousands of Latino working families continue to seek opportunities at the local level through community-based organizations, including those in NCLR’s Affiliate Network.”

According to NCLR’s latest analysis, Latinos are overrepresented in several industries that are growing despite the recession. For example, Latinos make up 24.4% of administrative and support services employees, an industry that added 223,000 new employees between July 2009 and July 2010. Child day care employment, which is more than 15% Latino, grew by 14% during the past year. Click here to read the full analysis by NCLR.

Together with leaders from other civil rights, labor, and student organizations, NCLR is leading One Nation Working Together, a national campaign to call for policies to create jobs and invest in a strong economic future. A major feature of the campaign is an historic rally scheduled to take place in Washington, DC on October 2, 2010. Click here to learn more about One Nation Working Together.

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