Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates Among Racial/Ethnic Groups and Latino Nationalities in the New York Metro Area and the Five Boroughs

Authors

Laura Limonic, Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino StudiesFollow

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2006

Abstract

Introduction:

This report details the unemployment rates among Latino origin groups and racial/ethnic groups in the New York Metro area. The data are broken down by boroughs and by the eight largest Latino origin groups in New York: Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Cubans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Peruvians and Ecuadorians.

Methods:

The data for this report were derived from the 2005 American Community Survey published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Data examined in this report are unemployment rates and rates of labor force non-participation rates. The U.S. Census classifies those not in the labor force as anyone who is not working nor actively seeking employment, such as students, homemakers, retired people and discouraged workers. Only adults over the age of 16 are included in this report. The metropolitan area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with an estimated population (as of 2005) of 18,747,320.

Discussion:

This report shows that in 2005 Latinos in the New York Metro area had the highest unemployment rate behind African Americans. Puerto Ricans and Dominicans reported the highest rates of unemployment in the New York Metro area. While Puerto Ricans had a high rate of unemployment in Brooklyn, they did not have excessively high rates in the other boroughs. This indicates that much of the high unemployment rate may be attributed to Puerto Ricans living outside of the five boroughs. Dominicans reported consistently high rates of unemployment across the five boroughs. According to the data, Guatemalans had the lowest unemployment rate in New York Metro area, and they showed consistently low rates across the five boroughs. The other groups vary widely across the five boroughs, which would indicate different grouping or settlement patterns according to socio-economic status.

Comments

For additional information you may contact the Center at 212-817-8438 or by e-mail at clacls@gc.cuny.edu.

Citation information: Limonic, Laura (2006). Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates Among Racial/Ethnic Groups and Latino Nationalities in the New York Metro Area and the Five Boroughs. New York, NY: Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.