by Janet Murguía Hispanic Link News Service
The Labor Day holiday took on a somber tone in the midst of the dismal jobs crisis that has left many financially insecure, but bright spots remain. This Labor Day, the National Council of La Raza honored the millions of Latino workers who are doing their part to keep the country running, including the nearly three million Hispanics who have not given up searching for work as the recession drags on. August unemployment figures revealed that Latinos continue to endure above-average unemployment rates, at 12.0 percent, compared to 9.6 percent for all workers. Economic forecasts signal that our country may dip into yet another recession, or worse, a depression. With such ominous indicators abounding, it can be easy to lose hope. To help our country get back on the path to prosperity, thousands of Latino working families continue to seek opportunities at the local level through community-based organizations, including the nearly 300 membergroups in NCLR’s Affiliate Network.
NCLR has highlighted the contributions of the nation’s 22 million Latino workers. A new analysis shows that Latinos have made a niche for themselves in recession-proof industries, as high numbers are employed in areas that continue to grow despite current economic conditions. For example, they make up a quarter (24.4 percent) of administrative and support services employees, an industry that added 223,000 new workers between July 2009 and July 2010. Child day care employment, which is more than 15 percent Latino, grew by 14 percent during the past year. Visit http://www.nclr.org/index.php/publications/despite_jobs_crisis_latinos_working_hard_to_strengthen_americas_economy/ for the full analysis. Hispanics are projected to continue driving the growth of the U.S. labor force in the coming decades.
Through their workforce participation, Latinos have made major contributions to our nation’s economic wellbeing, and the road to recovery undoubtedly relies on their continued efforts.
Together with leaders from other civil rights, labor and student organizations, including the NAACP, the Service Employees International Union, and the AFLCIO, 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, D.C. on Oct. 2. Visit one nationworkingtogether.org to learn more and join the movement.
(Janet Murguía is president and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.)
