Day Labor study 2006.pdf - National Council for Occupational Safety ...

Section IVThe Characteristics of Day LaborersThe day-labor workforce in the United States is predominantly male (just2 percent are female) and largely comprised of migrants from Mexico and CentralAmerica (Figure 3). More than half (59 percent) of day laborers were born in Mexico,14 percent were born in Guatemala and 8 percent were born in Honduras. United Statesbornworkers comprise 7 percent of the day-labor workforce, though in the southernregion of the country, almost one in five day laborers was born in the United States.Three-quarters of the day-labor workforce are undocumented migrants. However, about11 percent of the undocumented day-labor workforce has a pending application for anadjustment of their immigration status. It was not possible to determine how many ofthese workers may indeed be eligible for temporary or permanent immigration relief.Figure 3. Country of OriginAfrica 0.3%United States 7%Other 0.3 %Oth 0 6%Central America 28 %Caribbean 2%South America 4%Ecuador 2%Peru 1%Other SA 1%Mexico 59%Guatemala 14%Honduras 8%El Salvador 5%Other CA 1%Source: National Day Labor Survey, 2004Overall, day laborers tend to be relatively recent immigrants. Almost one in five(19 percent) migrated to the United States less than one year before they wereinterviewed at a day-labor hiring site, while 40 percent has resided in the United Statesfor one to five years (Figure 4). Less than one-third of day laborers (29 percent) hasresided in the United States for between six and 20 years, and 11 percent has resided inthe United States for more than two decades.18