Catherwood LibraryILR School

With the economy in crisis, many day-laborer staples, such as Home Depot, have drastically cut down the number of day-laborers they hire each week. The number of laborers has also gone up, largely due to sweeping layoffs. Only a year or two ago, when home-building was rampant, most of these laborers worked every day. This year, most can find work only once or twice a week. Workers who used to make almost $800 a week now subsist on less than $200. Many of the day-laborers are illegal immigrants sending money home to their families ? when adjusted for inflation, the amount of remittances sent to Latin America has decreased significantly. With so many to choose from, some employers have taken to paying day-laborers much less for the same work.