Document Type
Report
Publication Date
Fall 10-9-2026
Abstract
This report examines wage variation within informal work in New York State from 2016 to 2022, with particular attention to Latino workers. Using American Community Survey data from three five-year periods (2016, 2019, and 2022). The analysis explores how median hourly wages differ by ethnicity, sex, citizenship status, race, age, and nativity.
Informal workers represented 4.6%-4.7% of New York's workforce, approximately 569,000 to 589,000 workers between the years of study. A substantial wage gap persisted throughout the study period. Formal workers earned $18/hour in 2016 versus $12 for informal workers; by 2022, this widened to $24 versus $14, underscoring the economic disadvantage of informal work.
Included in
Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Income Distribution Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Labor Economics Commons, Political Science Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social Statistics Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons
Comments
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Citation information
Torrecillas Fernandez, Amalia. (2026). Wage Inequalities in Informal Work: Race, Sex, and Citizenship Among Latino Workers in New York State. Edited by Marco Castillo. New York, NY: Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.