The demographic under focus is the Hispanic population of the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022a), the unemployment rate for this population was 4.3% in May 2022. Meanwhile, the national average for the same period was moderately lower and stated to be 3.6% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022b). Thus, one can conclude that a Hispanic person in the US is more likely to be unemployed than an average American. People of color have historically been one of the most discriminated groups in the United States, and the tendency to refuse job opportunities to them still exists. Moreover, many Hispanics live in poorer neighborhoods which do not provide good chances for education and stability, which is also a serious problem.
The first factor contributing to the statistical difference in unemployment rates is the access to technology that makes remote work possible. Statistically, Hispanic people are poorer than the majority of Americans (Brown, 2020). The crisis that the pandemic brought has taken the racial issue in the U.S. to a new level. Naturally, when selecting between a job candidate who has hardware and the opportunity to work remotely and a candidate that has to be provided with such equipment, the employer will choose the cheaper option.
The second factor is the racial distribution by industry employment. Statistically, Hispanic people amount to more than 30% of the labor force involved in construction, while African Americans make up 6,4% (Brown, 2020, p. 4.). This is an example of an industry that suffered during the pandemic-related recession. Other industries are less affected precisely due to the ability to shift to remote employment. As many Hispanic work in construction, it is no surprise that their unemployment rate increased when their companies could no longer provide them with work.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the whole population; however, an already discriminated group such as people of color experienced unemployment issues on a higher level. The pandemic may not have affected every demographic group, but it did influence the economy. Specifically, the costs of employing people in full-time jobs increased so much that it became more cost-effective to shift to remote employment (Brown, 2020). The COVID-related crisis accelerated this trend that had started long before the pandemic. Still, remote employment should not be a problem – as long as the staff has the necessary means for working at home.
References
Brown, S. K. (2020). Racial inequality in the labor market and employment opportunities. Work Rise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022a). Table A-3. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex and age. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022b). The employment situation — May 2022. U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.