The unemployment rate in the San Antonio area is 3.8 percent as of October 2017, almost 1 percent lower than the national average at 4.7 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
After natural disasters and proposed changes to immigration policy this year, how has employment and the Texas economy been impacted in 2017?
In the month after Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, more than a quarter of day laborers surveyed in Houston went home with unpaid wages, according to a recent report by the Great Cities Institute.
Day laborers are typically recruited from informal hiring sites with no promise of extended work or pay.
They have been referred to as "second responders" on the scene of natural disasters, taking on the hefty work of clearing out debris, helping to break down damaged buildings and ultimately, building new structures to revive the area. What other hazards to day laborers face?
What is the state of employment in San Antonio and Texas today?
Guests:
- Bill Beardall, executive director of the Equal Justice Center
- Cal Soto, Staff Attorney & Worker Rights Coordinator at the National Day Laborer Organizing Network
- Ricardo G. Ramirez, Dir. of Analytics, Performance, & Strategy for Workforce Solutions Alamo
For more information on local resources, call (210) 272-3260 or visit workforcesolutionsalamo.org.
For a free, confidential assessment for work-related legal issues, call the Equal Justice Center hotline at 800-853-4028.
"The Source" is a live-call in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a voicemail with your questions and comments in advance by calling 210-615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource.
