Insights and Analyses

• Between 2021 and 2023, immigrants and children of immigrants represented about 55% of California’s labor force. Participation in the labor force among immigrants may be even higher, as census data undercounts immigrants who work in the informal sector.

• Across California, in 2021, data showed that about 73% of immigrants were employed.

• Athough California has relied on immigrants to supply a steadily growing workforce, immigrant workers continue to experience low wages. As of 2021, the median hourly wage for immigrants was $24 in California, compared to $30 for U.S.-born workers—with undocumented immigrants, in particular, having the lowest median wage at $16.

• A 2024 analysis of self-employment in the state using 2022 ACS data by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that about 14% of immigrant Californians were self-employed—a rate higher than the approximately 11% of self-employed U.S.-born workers.

• The American Immigration Council estimated that in 2021, while immigrants comprised about 27% of the state’s population, they comprised nearly 39% of entrepreneurs in California.

• According to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the Brookings Institute, the U.S. has experienced low population growth since the height of the pandemic. Indeed, California is one of three highly urbanized states that has experienced some of the greatest population losses – but international migration into the state has helped to offset some population loss.

• A 2023 national survey of immigrants by KKF in partnership with the L.A. Times showed that while immigrants tend to have high levels of employment, 1 in 3 immigrants reported challenges affording necessities like food, housing, and healthcare. Among low-income immigrants, 1 in 4 reported difficulties paying their bills each month and almost half reported they are “just able to pay their bills each month.”

• A 2020 report estimated that closures of businesses and localities due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted about 43% of California workers who were at high risk of unemployment. This unemployment burden disproportionately impacted young adults; Latinos; and workers employed in restaurants, hotels, personal care, and janitorial jobs. These business closures primarily burdened low-income workers, people of color, and immigrants, especially those excluded from public aid.

• A UCLA study using 2018 population survey data showed that across the state, about 79% of undocumented workers were employed in sectors categorized as essential by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Data also showed that during the early months of the pandemic, undocumented immigrants, as compared to other racial and ethnic groups, had the highest unemployment rates across the U.S., California, and Los Angeles County.

• Immigrant women were also disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Between April 2020 and June 2021, immigrant women, compared to all U.S-born workers and immigrant workers, consistently had the highest unemployment rates. The rate of unemployment for immigrant women reached a peak in May 2020 at nearly 19%. As of December 2023, the rate was approximately 4%.

La Luz Center in Sonoma County provides and connects immigrant and farm laborer families with an array of support services including economic, legal, health, and emergency-aid services.

La Luz Center advocates provide community members with direct emergency relief and help families apply for social services and benefits. The Center also helps individuals and families access other medical, legal, and health services offered in the region. Their rapid response work has included helping immigrant families who face ongoing immigrant deportation threats as well as providing critical support to farm laborer families affected by fires. For example, La Luz stepped in to help families affected by the 2017 Tubbs fires which devastated both Napa and Sonoma Counties, places that are home to thousands of undocumented immigrant families who primarily work in the local wine and farming economy. During the fires, many families could not afford to leave their homes and were left with no choice but to stay behind; La Luz delivered hot meals and provided other emergency-aid services.

As a well-established organization, La Luz was able to pivot to immigrant-focused COVID-19 pandemic assistance, underscoring the importance of ongoing long-term support to immigrant communities in more rural communities. For example, La Luz’s Promotoras and Luchadoras provided culturally relevant information, masks, and helped set up vaccination clinics. The organization also stepped in to provide rental assistance and worked to help address the digital divide for families who needed computers and wifi, as well as providing support to market owners and small immigrant businesses. La Luz extended their crisis fund to connect immigrants with a range of COVID-19-related benefits, including funds for sick leave, relief payments, small business loans, and information on testing sites. Understanding the gap in access to services and resources, in 2021, the organization also launched its own podcast to bridge the gap in access to information and services for the Spanish-speaking community. The episodes cover information about La Luz’s services and other community opportunities.

La Luz has been around for 30 years, and as former executive director Juan Hernandez said in an interview in The Nation, “People trust us… They know that LL will be here tomorrow if they need it.” To read The Nation’s full article featuring La Luz and their emergency-aid services for immigrant communities during the 2017 wildfires click here. To find out more about La Luz Center’s work, click here. Read their 2021 annual report here.

Photo Credit: Cornerstone Cellars