FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
jrendeiro@nclr.org
(202) 776-1812
Washington, DC—Latinos are contributing to and benefiting from job growth in the transportation sector, according to a monthly employment report released today by NCLR (National Council of La Raza). The report calls for the renewal of federal funding for transportation projects, with targeted investments in worker training programs to improve opportunities for low-wage and limited-English-proficient workers.
“More than one million Latinos work in transportation-related industries that are fueling our economic recovery,” said Catherine Singley, Senior Policy Analyst for the Economic and Employment Policy Project at NCLR. “In order for job growth to be sustainable, the federal government must renew its commitment to supporting the projects that put people to work in their communities.”
April’s report, which specifically focuses on Latinos in the transportation sector, shows that Latinos are strongly represented in expanding industries such as trucking and transportation support. Within transportation, however, Latinos are concentrated in low-wage jobs, making them more vulnerable to labor market fluctuations and more financially insecure during spells of unemployment. Due to new skills and educational requirements, many Hispanics are also at risk of being left out of new green jobs in transportation.
“Federal policy must promote career mobility for workers in low-wage jobs, especially as industries like transportation evolve to reduce pollution and dependence on fossil fuels,” Singley continued. “Workforce development policies that integrate basic skill and language instruction can ensure that today’s Latino workforce can meet the needs of tomorrow’s businesses.”
Please see April’s report, Steering Economic Recovery: Latinos in the Transportation Sector, for more information about how Latinos are contributing to transportation industries and where the transportation sector is growing.
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