Immigrants are no Longer the Majority of Hispanic Workers

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PHOENIX — Immigrants no longer account for the majority of Hispanic workers in the United States. This is the first time this occurs in nearly two decades.

According to a new Pew Research Center analysis, 49.7 percent of more than 22 million employed Latinos were immigrants in 2013.

These changes are mostly due to the decreasing flow of Hispanic immigrants. Tighter border controls and more deportations have served to mitigate migration to the U.S. from Latin America, especially Mexico, in recent years.

It is likely that the share of the Latino workforce that is U.S. born will continue to increase. The U.S. born currently account for most of the growth in the Latino population, and it is uncertain that Latino migrants will return to the U.S. workforce in larger numbers.

The Latino unemployment rate decreased during the recovery, falling to 8.8% in the fourth quarter of 2013 from 12.7% in the fourth quarter of 2009. But some of this decrease is likely due to discouraged workers leaving the workforce and therefore no longer being counted as unemployed. Moreover, the unemployment rate for Hispanics remains greater than the 5.9% it was at the start of the recession in the fourth quarter of 2007. Even more progress is to be made before the Hispanic unemployment rate matches its historic low of 5% reached in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The unemployment rates for both U.S.-born and immigrant Latinos are still higher than their levels in 2007. For U.S.-born Latinos, the unemployment rate increased from 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 13.8% in the fourth quarter of 2009, and it retreated only to 10.3% by the fourth quarter of 2013. The unemployment rate for Latino immigrants increased from 5.2% in 2007 to 11.8% to 2009, and it had fallen to 7.2% by the end of 2013.