LA is an Immigrant Land
April 22, 2008
Los Angeles has half of its workforce as imigrant, mostly unskilled and non English speaking.
This will only trend worst as baby boomers retire, and will be repeated across the country. Demographers estimate that by 2025 most of the growth in the workforce will be from immigrants.
Ernesto Cortes Jr., Southwest regional director of the Industrial Areas Foundation, said Los Angeles is at a crossroads.
“The question is: Are we going to be a 21st century city with shared prosperity, or a Third World city with an elite group on top and the majority at poverty or near poverty wages?” he asked. “Right now we’re headed toward becoming a Third World city. But we can change that.”
1/3 of immigrants have not graduated from high school and 60% do not speak English fluently according to Migration Policy Institute. This means 60% of LA’s residents cannot fill out a job application.
Are we on our way to becoming a third world country?
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