Construction Jobs Expand for Latinos Despite Slump in Housing Market, Foreign-Born Fill Vast Majority of New Jobs

Hispanic workers landed two out of every three new construction jobs in 2006, benefiting from strong employment growth in the industry even as the housing market endured a year-long slump.

Housing starts fell steadily in 2006 from 2.1 million in the first quarter to 1.6 million in the fourth quarter. Housing permits and housing units under construction also experienced a decline. The slowdown, however, did not have a negative impact on job prospects for Hispanic workers or, in particular, for foreign-born Hispanics.

The construction industry continues to be a key source of jobs for Hispanics and especially for those who are foreign born. The vast majority of new construction jobs in 2006 were filled by foreign-born Latinos, many of them recently arrived.

Estimates in this report are derived from data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, primarily from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.