According to a latest report, undocumented women workers earn less than undocumented men and less than women overall, depending on where they live. This makes them among the lowest-paid groups in the U.S.
Undocumented immigrants of California as they celebrate “Day Without Immigrants” (Photo: Capital Public Radio)
The Struggles of Undocumented Women in the United States.
According to a new report by the Gender Equity Policy Institute, undocumented women are now among the lowest-paid groups in the U.S. since they earn less than undocumented men and women overall. The inequality is because of the type of jobs that they are currently employed in and according to where they live. According to Natalia Vega Varela, the study’s author, what they find most surprising is that pay gaps between genders vary in New York, California, Texas, and Florida. These states are mostly populated with undocumented women. Fortunately, New York and California have supportive policies in place to help undocumented women by raising their pay.
Undocumented women in New York earn around $22,000 more than in Texas and in Florida, they earn more than $21,000 per year. In California, they earn $11,000 more. The minimum wage per hour is $14.20 in New York, $15.50 per hour in California, $7.25 in Texas, and $11 in Florida. The Deputy Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition Renata Bozzetto stated that the reports indicate that state policies can make the poverty rates of undocumented people go lower.
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Undocumented Women vs. Undocumented Men
According to researchers, the types of jobs that undocumented women currently employed themselves in are the main reason for their pay gap. As researched, undocumented women are currently in lower-paying jobs compared to undocumented men. Undocumented men are expected to be truck drivers and construction workers. These jobs statistically pay more compared to the jobs of undocumented women, like housekeeping.
According to the study, undocumented women will still be paid less compared to undocumented men even when they are employed in the same job. Varela called this a “double disadvantage”, and added that it is one of the first to analyze the financial crisis of undocumented women compared to the same crisis experienced by undocumented men in the U.S. 14% is the current poverty rate for all women living in the United States, where some of them even live below the federal poverty line since they earn less than $30,000 annually.
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