Latino Jobs Report Latino Unemployment Rate Remains High at 10.5%
The August Latino jobs report features stories from Latina women who have lost their jobs and access Unemployment Insurance benefits as a way of making ends meet. As highlighted in the UnidosUS July jobs report, polling showed that Latinos face significant barriers when applying for UI or accessing information about the benefits. These stories show the real life impact of these barriers of workers and their families while also expressing the hope that these Latinas have about returning to work when it is safe to do so.
While Latinos, and the economy as a whole, saw a decrease in unemployment in July, the number of permanent jobs lost has continued to rise. Since July, 534,000 jobs have been permanently lost, contributing to the 2.1 million jobs that have been permanently lost since February. As businesses remain closed or working at limited capacity, this number will likely continue to grow in the fall. At this time, it is critical that Congress act to support workers whose jobs are gone, as well as those who will hopefully return by: extending Pandemic Unemployment Assistance of $600 for workers, pushing states to improve their antiquated unemployment insurance systems to remove barriers that Latino workers face when trying to access benefits, and lastly by passing the HEROES Act which provides support for the states and Latino families.
