Lourdes Gouveia, Ph.D., OLLAS, University of Nebraska at Omaha

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1 The ability to move is a dimension of human freedom and a component of human development Human Development Report, 2009 Lourdes Gouveia, Ph.D., OLLAS, University of Nebraska at Omaha

2 Selected Findings from Nebraska Immigrants Economic and Fiscal Impacts Report (OLLAS website) The total value of production impact of immigrant spending in Nebraska s Omaha and Lincoln areas was $1.14 billion in 2006 plus 8,331 new jobs. The impact of immigrant spending on total production in Nebraska s Eastern region (excluding the Omaha and Lincoln areas) was $204 million, resulting in 1,275 jobs. The impact of immigrant spending on total production in Nebraska s Western region was $238 million, resulting in 1,896 jobs.

3 Dodge County - 8.7% Dawson County - 5.3% Source: Randy Cantrell. Demographic and Economic Trends in Non- Metropolitan Nebraska. For the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative. Page 2.

4 Foreign- and LaCno Foreign- Labor Force in the U.S. and Nebraska, % 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 56.1% 59.3% 50.0% 49.8% 15.7% 15.6% 6.4% 6.8% U.S. Nebraska U.S. Nebraska U.S. Nebraska U.S. Nebraska Foreign- Labor Force LaCno Foreign- Share of Total Foreign- Labor Force Foreign- Labor Force LaCno Foreign- Share of Total Foreign- Labor Force Source: OLLAS calculacons based on the 2007 and 2008 American Community Survey and Bureau Labor StaCsCcs.

5 NaCve- and Foreign born by Selected Industries, U.S and Nebraska, Industry of U.S. Native of Foreign of Latino Foreign of U.S. Native of Foreign of Latino Foreign Construction 6.9% 9.4% 14.7% 6.8% 7.8% 11.8% Manufacturing 9.4% 30.4% 40.2% 9.9% 30.8% 37.6% Educational, health and social services 22.6% 17.6% 8.0% 23.3% 13.1% 6.7% Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services 7.8% 9.1% 9.7% 7.1% 9.4% 10.4% Source: U. S. Census Bureau and 2008 American Community Survey.

6 U.S. NaCve, Foreign- and LaCno Foreign- PopulaCon by Selected OccupaCons in Nebraska, Occupation of U.S. Native of Foreign of Latino Foreign of U.S. Native of Foreign of Latino Foreign Management, professional, and related occupations 35.3% 23.8% 7.7% 34.9% 20.3% 7.7% Service occupations 15.4% 20.4% 23.0% 15.9% 22.1% 24.8% Sales and office occupations 26.3% 10.6% 6.8% 26.5% 12.6% 8.6% Construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations 9.0% 10.7% 16.2% 8.7% 8.6% 12.6% Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 12.3% 31.2% 41.1% 12.6% 32.8% 41.2% Source: U. S. Census Bureau and 2008 American Community Survey.

7 NaCve- and Foreign- PopulaCon in Dawson and Dodge CounCes in Nebraska, 2000 and % 80.0% 84.1% 97.2% 80.5% 96.2% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% % NaCve 15.9% 2.8% Foreign NaCve 19.5% 3.8% Foreign - 3.4% - 1.9% NaCve 24.0% 37.7% Foreign Percent Change between 2000 and Dawson County Dodge County Source: OLLAS calculacons based on the U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 and Year EsCmates American Community Survey.

8 Number of Monthly Nebraska Jobs in Animal Slaughtering and Processing: January 2001 to July ,000 27,500 27,000 26,500 Number of Jobs 26,000 25,500 25,000 24,500 24,000 23,500 23,000 JAN 2001 JAN 2002 JAN 2003 JAN 2004 Source: Current Employment Statistics, Nebraska Workforce Development JAN 2005 Month/Year JAN 2006 JAN 2007 JAN 2008 JAN 2009 Compiled and Prepared by: David Drozd, CPAR at UNO

9 Number of Monthly Nebraska Jobs in Food Services: January 2001 to July ,500 56,500 55,500 54,500 Number of Jobs 53,500 52,500 51,500 50,500 49,500 48,500 JAN 2001 JAN 2002 JAN 2003 JAN 2004 Source: Current Employment Statistics, Nebraska Workforce Development JAN 2005 Month/Year JAN 2006 JAN 2007 JAN 2008 JAN 2009 Compiled and Prepared by: David Drozd, CPAR at UNO

10 Managing the crisis with immigrant labor: increasing produccvity Faster pace, no wage increases, unproductive workers quit and clients stay. Very few clients have asked us to reduce our services. What we have done is work with them so we can do the work in fewer hours. So of course we have had to re- organize things a little different and increase our productivity. So the impact has not been that great in terms of our clients; because, seeing how we are willing to work with them, they have even given us other buildings to clean. (Manager, Cleaning company for large buildings)

11 Living, not leaving, with E- Verify E- verify does not root out people that are using, you know, other names; some of them that come here to apply are working for other companies and we are not able to hire them because of the E- Verify. (manager) They divided us between two groups, those who were going to work at this [government] building and those who were assigned the building with all the lawyers. There is plenty of work. They just told us no more wage increases (worker)

12 Crisis and E- Verify: Labor market segmentacon is reinforced If you are a Mexican, you don t have any seniority, no matter what; because everybody assumes that you must be illegal. If you do, it s only because the project manager likes you. But he s still not goanna put you in some sort of seniority position over people. He ll just give you some respect. They [the White workers] don t want them here. It gives them more power, more seniority. They don t want the competition from these guys that are here seven days a week. But you ask these other [White] guys can you come in on Saturday,? They ll try to get out of it. But these [Mexican] guys will come. They want to work. [Interview with supervisor]

13 Enforcing labor segmentacon He called me in and said, you know, I saw a dog lying on the street the other day when we were working, he goes; and it got run over by a car and I helped it. And, he goes, if it was a Mexican, he goes, I d just let him bleed to death. Mexicans are worse than dogs. He said that right to my face. This is a guy with a lot of seniority [Newly- hired White supervisor]

14 Intra- immigrant labor compeccon heats up. Underemployment of qualified immigrants more visible So many immigrants coming from other states, with or without papers, who are cleaning houses at any wages; that is affecting us in Omaha, which used to be a good state for this kind of work. And I am seeing lots and lots of poverty from these people coming in. I sometimes refer them to clients. I believe there are so many Hispanics out there eager to succeed, to forge ahead in life. If we had papers we could apply all the skills and knowledge we possess. Even if we cannot get a job as an accountant, but at least be able to be certified to operate a day care. I cannot do it without a social [security]. So we clean houses instead.

15 Conclusions Immigrants have become a necessary structural component of Nebraska s economy. As the CEO of a large meatpacking company put it: it would take the state s agrofood sector three days to collapse without immigrant workers. Three days Race, ethnicity, gender and legal status interact to supply expanding or struggling businesses with just the kind of labor they need even during times of crisis. Social divides harden in local communities and lead to anti- immigrant actions such as the Fremont ordinance.

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17 Conclusions However, immigrants are not simply passive victims and organizing efforts as well as voting participating rates are on the increase (See Wilson Report). As the flyer suggests, there are important segments of the non- Latino community mobilizing against these efforts. Maybe there is still hope for local communities to come together and envision alternative development strategies that capitalize on an immigrant inflow s skills and funds of knowledge to build more sustainable and socially- cohesive communities than those falsely promised by meatpakcking- led rural industrialization.