Building economic opportunity: A new framework for good jobs, fair pay and workplace protections

By Lisette Orellana Engel, director, Economic Policy

Summary: Latino workers power key industries, drive labor force growth and contribute $4.4 trillion to the U.S. economy. Despite their outsized impact, many Hispanic workers still face barriers to economic advancement. The UnidosUS Labor and Workforce Development Framework advances policies that expand access to good jobs, strengthen workplace protections and ensure fair compensation for Latino workers and their families.

In poll after poll, Latinos identify the economy as their top concern. And when we talk about the economy, we’re really talking about the issues that shape everyday life: jobs, wages, benefits and the opportunity to build a better future for our families.

The Latino community is a driving force behind America’s economic success.

Consider the facts:

• Latinos contribute $4.4 trillion to the U.S. economy.

• Nearly 80% of Latinos are working class.

• Latinas are among the fastest-growing groups of entrepreneurs in the country.

• Latino workers make up nearly 1 in 5 workers nationwide and are projected to account for the overwhelming majority of labor force growth in the years ahead.

Yet despite these contributions, too many Latino workers are not sharing fully in the prosperity they help create.

The reality is stark:

• Latinos remain overrepresented in low-wage occupations with no opportunities for growth.

• Latino workers are disproportionately concentrated in dangerous industries and jobs with elevated risks of workplace injury and fatality.

• Latinas continue to face significant pay disparities, earning far less than white, non-Hispanic men.

At UnidosUS, we know the value of hard work. We know that Latino workers power our economy, strengthen our communities and sustain the industries that keep our country running. But work should be more than a paycheck. It should provide stability, dignity and the opportunity to build a good life.

That belief is what inspired our first-ever Labor and Workforce Development Framework.

Grounded in research, informed by the expertise of our Affiliates and shaped by the lived experiences of Latino workers, this framework outlines a vision for ensuring that work creates opportunity, economic security and upward mobility for Latino families.

At its core, the framework advances three priorities:

• Training for Good Jobs and Careers

Every worker should have access to pathways that lead to quality jobs and long-term career growth. Expanding access to workforce training, apprenticeships, skills development and supportive services can help ensure Latino workers have opportunities not only to enter the workforce, but to advance within it.

• Worker Protections

Every job should be safe, and every worker should be protected. Strengthening workplace protections helps ensure that workers can earn a living free from exploitation, unsafe conditions, wage theft and discrimination.

• Fair Wages, Benefits and Worker Voice

A strong economy depends on jobs that provide fair compensation, meaningful benefits and opportunities for workers to have a voice in decisions that affect their livelihoods. When workers can thrive, families, businesses and communities thrive as well.

The future of America’s workforce is inseparable from the future of Latino workers. Building an economy that rewards work, expands opportunity and creates pathways to prosperity is not just good for Latino families; it is essential to our nation’s long-term economic success.

Our Labor and Workforce Development Framework is part of the broader UnidosUS Economic Prosperity Agenda — our vision for ensuring Latino families can achieve economic security and build wealth across generations. Together with our work on entrepreneurship, housing and family economic security, this framework recognizes a simple truth: Prosperity begins with work that provides dignity, stability and opportunity. Because every worker deserves the chance not just to get by, but to get ahead.