There are more than 62 million Hispanic Americans living in the United States, and Hispanic workers, families and businesses serve a vital role in helping power the U.S. economy. In particular, Hispanic women represent a critical and growing segment of the U.S. labor market and economy. The increasing labor market participation of Latinas is helping support the ongoing economic recovery and the resilience of the American workforce.
However, Hispanic women continue to be overrepresented in low-wage occupations and face barriers to economic opportunity. Specifically, the overrepresentation of Latinas in low-paying sectors means that they are disproportionally hurt by the gender pay gap, economic insecurity and poor working conditions.
Despite suffering significant job losses during the pandemic, Latina workers are making a strong recovery. This has been made possible by emergency relief and a pro-worker and inclusive economic agenda in the American Rescue Plan. Enactment of additional proposals, like the Raise the Wage Act and the PRO Act, would help strengthen the economic position of Latinas and their contributions to the U.S. economy.
