Study shows decline in immigrant labor

Reversing a five-year trend, fewer immigrant Latinos were either working or looking for jobs in the third quarter of 2008 compared to a year ago, according to a recent Pew Hispanic Center study.

The labor force participation rate of foreign-born Latinos fell from 72.4 percent in the third quarter of 2007 to 71.3 percent in the same period of 2008, a decline of 1.1 percentage points.

According to the study, the decrease in Latino immigrant labor force was led by those from Mexico or those who arrived in the United States in 2000 or more recently.
Rutilio Martinez, an associate professor of business at the University of Northern Colorado, said the recession is driving the decreases.

“There are no jobs. That’s the basic reason they are not being hired in the United States,” he said.