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How Has The Texas Workforce Changed In 2017?

Pixabay (Public Domain)

The unemployment rate in the San Antonio area is 3.8 percent as of October 2017, almost 1 percent lower than the national average at 4.7 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

After natural disasters and proposed changes to immigration policy this year, how has employment and the Texas economy been impacted in 2017?  

In the month after Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, more than a quarter of day laborers surveyed in Houston went home with unpaid wages, according to a recent reportby the Great Cities Institute.  

Day laborers are typically recruited from informal hiring sites with no promise of extended work or pay. 

They have been referred to as "second responders" on the scene of natural disasters, taking on the hefty work of clearing out debris, helping to break down damaged buildings and ultimately, building new structures to revive the area. What other hazards to day laborers face? 

What is the state of employment in San Antonio and Texas today?     

Guests:

For more information on local resources, call (210) 272-3260 or visit workforcesolutionsalamo.org. 

For a free, confidential assessment for work-related legal issues, call the Equal Justice Center hotline at 800-853-4028. 

"The Source" is a live-call in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.  Leave a voicemail with your questions and comments in advance by calling 210-615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource.

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Jan Ross Piedad Sakian is TPR’s News Operations Producer. In this role, she develops strategy on collaborative and digital initiatives for the station. Since 2016, Jan Ross has served in a coordinating capacity for TPR’s state and national partners, including The Texas Newsroom.