The Employment Paradox: High Job Openings and the Undocumented Latinx

Join the Penn IUR Forum on Urban Informality and the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies for a discussion on employment and the undocumented Latinx immigrant community in Philadelphia. As the U.S. continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, a labor shortage has emerged which poses an economic threat to the full recovery of numerous industries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. reported 10 million job openings in June 2021. Meanwhile, a separate dilemma proceeds in parallel for undocumented Latinx immigrants who are experiencing significant financial hardships as a result of the pandemic.

Héctor Manuel Herrada Rangel, Community Activist, Philadelphia, will present perspectives from the community in Philadelphia about informality and ways to support undocumented communities to formally join the workforce in the U.S. Michael Jones-Correa, President’s Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director, Center for the Study of Ethnicity, Race and Immigration (CSERI), will remark on the consequences of undocumented status and informality, for the economic, social and civic engagement of the Latinx community in Philadelphia. Penn IUR Affiliated PhD Student Stephanie Fenniri will serve as moderator.

As part of the Penn IUR Lab on Sustainable Development and Informality, the Penn IUR Forum on Urban Informality convenes early-career experts across different disciplines and institutions to explore the way informality is shaping sustainable urban development.