The Facts on Day Laborers

Posted by Sheila Redick on January 23, 2006

The first nationwide study on day laborers reports that:

• On a typical day, 117,600 people are looking for day labor at more than 500 sites.
• 75 percent of day laborers are illegal immigrants.
• More than half said employers had cheated them in the past two months.
• 49 percent of day laborers were employed by homeowners.
• 43 percent of day laborers were employed by construction contractors.
• The jobs they most frequently hold are construction labor, landscaping, painting, roofing and drywall installation.
• Day laborers earn a median of $10 an hour and $700 per month.
• 59 percent of day laborers are from Mexico.
• 28 percent of day laborers are from Central America.
• Nearly three-fourths of day laborers say they gather at day labor sites five or more days a week.
• The average day laborer finds work three to three and a half days a week.

The full study can be found here.