5 Myths about Low-Wage Workers in California
In this blog we will use the Low-Wage Data Explorer to dispel some myths about the one-in-three workers in California who are paid low wages.
About Enrique
Enrique Lopezlira is the director of the Low-Wage Work program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. He is a labor economist, directing and conducting research on how policies affect working families, with a particular focus on how these policies impact racial and gender equity.
Dr. Lopezlira previously served as senior policy advisor for economic and employment policy at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), one of the largest Latinx civil rights organizations in the nation. He also served as deputy director for policy and research at Western Progress, a think tank advancing progressive policies and change in the eight states of the Rocky Mountain West.
He also brings experiences in advising various government agencies and testifying at the state and federal levels. He is often asked for his economic insights and analysis by English and Spanish media; he has appeared on CNN, CNN en Español, and Univision, and has been covered in Al Jazeera, Politico, and the Washington Post.
Dr. Lopezlira holds a doctorate in economics from Howard University. He also holds a master’s degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Arizona State University.
- Publications
- Press Coverage
The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Arizona Construction Industry
In this research brief we provide estimates of safety net use among families of construction workers in Arizona. We find that 45% of families of construction workers in Arizona are enrolled in one or more safety net programs at a cost to the state and the federal government of over $700 million per year. By comparison, among all Arizona workers, 32% have a family member enrolled in one or more safety net programs. Over one-third (36%) of construction workers lack health insurance, almost three times the rate for all workers in Arizona (13%).
The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Georgia Construction Industry
In this research brief we provide estimates of safety net use among families of construction workers in Georgia. We find that 44% of families of construction workers in Georgia are enrolled in one or more safety net programs at a cost to the state and the federal government of approximately $400 million per year. By comparison, among all Georgia workers, 33% have a family member enrolled in one or more safety net programs. Nearly half (49%) of construction workers lack health insurance, more than three times the rate for all workers in Georgia (15%).
The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Michigan Construction Industry
In this research brief we provide estimates of safety net use among families of construction workers in Michigan. We find that 35% of families of construction workers in Michigan are enrolled in one or more safety net programs at a cost to the state and the federal government of almost half a billion dollars per year. By comparison, among all Michigan workers, 30% have a family member enrolled in one or more safety net programs. Twenty percent of construction workers lack health insurance, almost three times the rate for all workers in Michigan (7%).
The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Nevada Construction Industry
In this research brief we provide estimates of safety net use among families of construction workers in Nevada. We find that 42% of families of construction workers in Nevada are enrolled in one or more safety net programs at a cost to the state and the federal government of over a quarter of a billion dollars per year. By comparison, among all Nevada workers, 33% have a family member enrolled in one or more safety net programs. Over one-third (35%) of construction workers lack health insurance, compared to 13% of all workers in Nevada.
May 11, 2022 -
Sacramento Bee
This California company made its 4-day workweek permanent. Do fewer hours help or hurt?
Lopezlira, director of the low-wage program at the university’s labor center, said that the four-day week would most likely put hourly workers at a financial disadvantage. Most of them are looking to work more hours during the week.
May 4, 2022 -
BedTimes
Covid-19 made a tough hiring situation even tougher, and the fallout continues to be felt by some mattress manufacturers
“The pandemic caused a decline in employment in all industries,” says Enrique Lopezlira. “There was a huge drop in manufacturing employment in California and at the national level. It has been rebounding over the last year, but not enough to make up for the decline.”
March 17, 2022 -
Radar 2022
Economy Under Construction
After facing multiple recessions, millennials are now having to navigate through an economic crisis and record-breaking inflation brought on by the pandemic. Enrique Lopezliro joins the discussion.
February 8, 2022 -
Modesto Bee
Inflation is hurting all Americans — but experts say Latinos are ‘feeling it the most’
Not all Latinos, of course, feel that way. Forty percent earn enough to be in the upper 60% of income in this country, Enrique Lopezlira, director of the Low-Wage Work Program at UC Berkeley.
February 5, 2022 -
NBC Bay Area
Pivoting During the Pandemic After Being Laid Off
“The Black and Hispanic workers were already trailing in wages and income…Women, especially those who are mothers or taking care of relatives, they’ve had to exit the workforce,” said Dr. Lopezlira.
January 24, 2022 -
Capitol Weekly
California’s job data reflects increasing impact of women
There is a burnout factor of employees in hospitals and schools facing the hazards of the pandemic propelling decreased health and education employment, according to Enrique Lopezlira, who directs the low-wage work program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
January 17, 2022 -
Austin Business Journal
Study: Almost half of Texas construction workers enrolled in safety net programs
A new study from the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests many construction workers in Texas are underpaid.
January 15, 2022 -
Mother Jones
Workers Got Fed Up. Bosses Got Scared. This Is How the Big Quit Happened.
As Enrique Lopezlira explained to me, “if you’re an older worker with family responsibilities, switching [jobs] might not be as easy because there might be transportation issues, there might be scheduling issues, and maybe day care issues.”
January 3, 2022 -
The Mercury News
A slew of Bay Area cities will increase minimum wages in 2022
“Employers can give wage increases, but they can also take them away — so this puts in a floor for that,” Lopezlira said.
November 29, 2021 -
Galveston County Daily News
Family matters: Off-island exodus poses economic, cultural test for Galveston
For some families, the classic American Dream of home ownership still is realistic, said Enrique Lopezlira, direct of the Low-Wage Work Program at the University of California, Berkeley. But for others, it isn’t.