Hispanic workers have shown remarkable resilience in the labor market despite Trump destroying job growth
The Trump administration inherited a strong labor market that delivered historic gains for Hispanic workers. Between 2019 and 2024, prime-age Hispanic workers experienced record-high employment rates while Hispanic workers overall saw their real wages grow faster than in the preceding four decades.
Although job growth began to wane in the second half of 2024, the current administration’s economic mismanagement has led to a significant slowdown in job growth this summer. The most recent jobs report confirmed that the economy actually lost jobs in June 2025, and job growth for August was much weaker than anticipated.
Despite all this chaos and uncertainty, Hispanic workers have managed to hold on to their previous job market gains. This resilience is largely a story about employment growth among Latinas. But there are growing signs that these workers and their families remain vulnerable to economic hardship as the current administration attacks immigrants, basic needs programs, and common-sense economics.
Despite a labor market slowdown, Hispanic workers continued to show strength in the first half of 2025
By 2023, the employment rate of Hispanic workers (63.8%) had achieved a near-full recovery from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite weaker overall job growth earlier this year, the same share of Hispanic workers remained employed in April 2025 (see Figure A). While this figure declined marginally to 63.4% in August 2025, it is much less pronounced than the decline Black workers are now experiencing. This is because Black workers are more directly affected by federal government layoffs and are generally among the first to sharply experience the adverse effects of an economic slowdown and eventual downturn.
Share of Hispanic workers with a job remains high despite weaker job growth in 2025: Employment-to-population ratios by race and ethnicity, December 2019–August 2025
| Date | White | Black | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec-2019 | 61.2% | 59.4% | 64.3% |
| Jan-2020 | 61.3% | 58.8% | 65.0% |
| Feb-2020 | 61.3% | 59.2% | 64.8% |
| Mar-2020 | 60.1% | 57.4% | 63.0% |
| Apr-2020 | 51.7% | 48.6% | 51.2% |
| May-2020 | 53.5% | 49.5% | 52.9% |
| Jun-2020 | 55.5% | 50.9% | 55.8% |
| Jul-2020 | 55.8% | 51.6% | 56.6% |
| Aug-2020 | 57.2% | 52.6% | 58.3% |
| Sep-2020 | 57.3% | 52.7% | 58.3% |
| Oct-2020 | 58.1% | 53.8% | 59.8% |
| Nov-2020 | 57.9% | 54.2% | 59.9% |
| Dec-2020 | 57.8% | 54.0% | 59.3% |
| Jan-2021 | 57.8% | 54.6% | 59.4% |
| Feb-2021 | 58.0% | 54.0% | 59.9% |
| Mar-2021 | 58.1% | 54.7% | 60.2% |
| Apr-2021 | 58.2% | 55.0% | 60.1% |
| May-2021 | 58.3% | 55.3% | 60.3% |
| Jun-2021 | 58.2% | 56.0% | 60.6% |
| Jul-2021 | 58.6% | 55.9% | 61.4% |
| Aug-2021 | 58.7% | 56.3% | 61.5% |
| Sep-2021 | 58.9% | 56.7% | 61.6% |
| Oct-2021 | 59.1% | 56.5% | 62.0% |
| Nov-2021 | 59.4% | 56.9% | 63.0% |
| Dec-2021 | 59.7% | 56.6% | 62.9% |
| Jan-2022 | 59.9% | 57.6% | 63.2% |
| Feb-2022 | 60.1% | 57.9% | 63.7% |
| Mar-2022 | 60.2% | 58.0% | 63.6% |
| Apr-2022 | 59.9% | 58.4% | 63.3% |
| May-2022 | 59.9% | 59.0% | 63.5% |
| Jun-2022 | 59.9% | 58.6% | 63.6% |
| Jul-2022 | 59.9% | 58.4% | 63.1% |
| Aug-2022 | 60.1% | 58.0% | 63.8% |
| Sep-2022 | 60.1% | 58.6% | 63.5% |
| Oct-2022 | 60.0% | 58.5% | 63.4% |
| Nov-2022 | 59.8% | 58.9% | 63.1% |
| Dec-2022 | 60.2% | 58.9% | 63.6% |
| Jan-2023 | 60.2% | 59.5% | 63.3% |
| Feb-2023 | 60.2% | 59.7% | 63.3% |
| Mar-2023 | 60.1% | 60.8% | 63.7% |
| Apr-2023 | 60.3% | 59.9% | 63.8% |
| May-2023 | 60.3% | 59.6% | 64.1% |
| Jun-2023 | 60.4% | 58.9% | 64.4% |
| Jul-2023 | 60.3% | 59.2% | 64.3% |
| Aug-2023 | 60.4% | 59.4% | 63.9% |
| Sep-2023 | 60.2% | 59.4% | 64.1% |
| Oct-2023 | 60.1% | 59.3% | 63.8% |
| Nov-2023 | 60.3% | 60.0% | 63.9% |
| Dec-2023 | 59.9% | 60.1% | 63.4% |
| Jan-2024 | 60.0% | 60.0% | 63.5% |
| Feb-2024 | 60.0% | 60.1% | 63.7% |
| Mar-2024 | 60.2% | 59.4% | 63.8% |
| Apr-2024 | 60.2% | 59.6% | 64.1% |
| May-2024 | 60.0% | 59.1% | 64.0% |
| Jun-2024 | 60.0% | 58.8% | 64.2% |
| Jul-2024 | 60.0% | 59.2% | 63.7% |
| Aug-2024 | 60.0% | 58.9% | 64.1% |
| Sep-2024 | 60.1% | 59.2% | 64.0% |
| Oct-2024 | 59.8% | 59.3% | 63.5% |
| Nov-2024 | 59.8% | 58.5% | 63.4% |
| Dec-2024 | 59.9% | 58.6% | 64.1% |
| Jan-2025 | 60.1% | 58.6% | 63.6% |
| Feb-2025 | 59.7% | 58.9% | 63.4% |
| Mar-2025 | 59.8% | 58.4% | 63.8% |
| Apr-2025 | 59.9% | 58.2% | 63.8% |
| May-2025 | 59.6% | 58.3% | 63.7% |
| Jun-2025 | 59.7% | 57.7% | 63.6% |
| Jul-2025 | 59.7% | 57.2% | 63.6% |
| Aug-2025 | 59.5% | 57.9% | 63.4% |
Note: Data are for workers 16 years and older and are seasonally adjusted. Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: Author's analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey public data.
Latina workers remain the backbone of this story of resilience
Although Latinos have historically enjoyed higher employment rates than Latinas, the record gains for Hispanic workers over the last few years have been largely driven by Latinas. Despite being disproportionately affected by the pandemic recession, Latinas reached a record-high employment rate (56%) in 2023. The share of Latinas with a job reached a new peak (59.6%) in April 2025 (see Figure B). Once again, this experience differs from that of Black women, who have been adversely impacted by the weaker job growth since February of this year. In fact, the employment rate of Latinas surpassed that of Black women for the first time in March 2025.
The employment rate of Latinas drives the resilience of Hispanic workers in 2025: Latina employment-to-population ratio, December 2019–August 2025
| Date | Latina |
|---|---|
| Dec-2019 | 58.1% |
| Jan-2020 | 58.8% |
| Feb-2020 | 58.8% |
| Mar-2020 | 57.5% |
| Apr-2020 | 44.8% |
| May-2020 | 46.6% |
| Jun-2020 | 49.8% |
| Jul-2020 | 50.9% |
| Aug-2020 | 52.1% |
| Sep-2020 | 51.0% |
| Oct-2020 | 52.5% |
| Nov-2020 | 53.3% |
| Dec-2020 | 52.9% |
| Jan-2021 | 52.8% |
| Feb-2021 | 53.1% |
| Mar-2021 | 53.7% |
| Apr-2021 | 53.3% |
| May-2021 | 53.5% |
| Jun-2021 | 54.1% |
| Jul-2021 | 54.5% |
| Aug-2021 | 54.5% |
| Sep-2021 | 54.6% |
| Oct-2021 | 55.1% |
| Nov-2021 | 55.8% |
| Dec-2021 | 56.4% |
| Jan-2022 | 56.6% |
| Feb-2022 | 56.8% |
| Mar-2022 | 57.2% |
| Apr-2022 | 56.7% |
| May-2022 | 56.6% |
| Jun-2022 | 57.0% |
| Jul-2022 | 57.7% |
| Aug-2022 | 58.3% |
| Sep-2022 | 58.4% |
| Oct-2022 | 57.8% |
| Nov-2022 | 57.7% |
| Dec-2022 | 58.2% |
| Jan-2023 | 58.4% |
| Feb-2023 | 58.4% |
| Mar-2023 | 58.3% |
| Apr-2023 | 58.6% |
| May-2023 | 59.0% |
| Jun-2023 | 58.8% |
| Jul-2023 | 59.0% |
| Aug-2023 | 59.1% |
| Sep-2023 | 59.0% |
| Oct-2023 | 58.6% |
| Nov-2023 | 58.6% |
| Dec-2023 | 58.5% |
| Jan-2024 | 58.1% |
| Feb-2024 | 58.4% |
| Mar-2024 | 58.4% |
| Apr-2024 | 58.9% |
| May-2024 | 58.9% |
| Jun-2024 | 58.4% |
| Jul-2024 | 58.2% |
| Aug-2024 | 59.3% |
| Sep-2024 | 59.4% |
| Oct-2024 | 58.2% |
| Nov-2024 | 58.6% |
| Dec-2024 | 58.9% |
| Jan-2025 | 58.8% |
| Feb-2025 | 58.9% |
| Mar-2025 | 59.3% |
| Apr-2025 | 59.6% |
| May-2025 | 59.1% |
| Jun-2025 | 58.6% |
| Jul-2025 | 59.0% |
| Aug-2025 | 58.9% |
Note: Overall data are for workers 20 years and older and are seasonally adjusted. Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: Author's analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey public data.
Hispanic workers continue to face persistent disparities in earnings and poverty
Undoubtedly, Hispanic workers have shown remarkable resilience in the face of the Trump-Vance administration slowing job growth dramatically in 2025. But these workers and their families remain vulnerable to economic insecurity as fears of a downturn continue to rise. Income disparities and variability leave Hispanic workers and their families with less financial cushion than their peers to maintain their standard of living in case of a job loss. Less than half of Hispanic adults have enough savings to cover an unexpected $400 expense with cash or its equivalent.
Latinas and Hispanic children are especially vulnerable to economic insecurity and hardship. Latinas face a greater pay gap than most other groups of women in the labor market. Inequities in household incomes also leave Hispanic children three times more likely to experience poverty than their white peers. Given their material needs, these families and children will be unfairly affected by a weakening economy and Trump’s attacks on basic needs programs like food stamps and Medicaid—not to mention a senseless approach to immigration and trade policy.
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