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What is a Shadow Workforce?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

The shadow workforce is something you’ve probably noticed, though you may not have heard the term. If you have ever been approached outside a home improvement store by a person asking if you need work, or you’ve noticed a group of people standing on a major intersection, apparently waiting, you’ve seen the shadow workforce. Essentially most of these folks are undocumented workers, though some have the legal right to work in the US, and they are also called day laborers because they often depend upon day to day offers of work instead of holding a standard job.

Many of these workers do jobs that most Americans don’t want or won’t take. Due to the fact that many do not have the legal right to work in the US, they can be subject to considerable abuse by employers. They may be paid less than the minimum wage. The work the shadow workforce does often includes yard work, crop picking, construction work, et cetera, which tends to be difficult manual labor. Workplace conditions may result in injury from which these workers have no protection. In fact, as many as one in five workers may be injured every day while working, but they cannot fall back on disability or expect recompense from their employers.

Some of those in the 'shadow workforce' are homeless.
Some of those in the 'shadow workforce' are homeless.

There are many economists who acknowledge that the shadow workforce needs to exist, in order to do the jobs that “need doing” but that most Americans won’t do, especially at pay under minimum or living wages. However, it is illegal to hire many of these workers unless they possess the legal right to work in the US. Some states look to solutions like creating migrant worker passes to fill labor needs especially in the farming and construction industry. Others suggest that citizens or residents of the US should fill these jobs, and that both agriculture and construction should pay accordingly.

In the United States, about 87 percent of the shadow workforce is Latino.
In the United States, about 87 percent of the shadow workforce is Latino.

In the US about 87% of the shadow workforce is Latino, and about three-quarters are not legally authorized to work in the US. Less than 10% were born in the United States. Though these workers don’t always have citizenship in common with other citizens, they are like most Americans in many ways. Most attend church regularly, just under half rent or own their homes (and are not homeless), and about a fourth of the shadow workforce is involved in community activities.

Agriculture is among industries that are part of the shadow workforce.
Agriculture is among industries that are part of the shadow workforce.

What the shadow workforce lacks tends to be protection from abuses by employers. Undocumented workers can’t complain, since to do so would probably mean being deported. Some legislators have suggested stiff penalties for employers of undocumented workers, especially because these workers are so liable to abuse, with no legal recourse. Stiff fines might also cut down on the draw for illegal immigration to the US. Employers who regularly employ migrant workers or the shadow workforce counter that it's extremely hard to find people with permission to work here who will perform this type of work, and that adopting a pay scale determined by the government would raise costs to the consumer.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Discussion Comments

jessiwan

@Post no. 1: You are absolutely right. I believe that these day laborers (who are often Latinos/Mexicans) lower the living standards of working class Americans by competing against them in an illegal way (as in, these people agree to work for less than the minimum wage). Imagine if these people did not exist. Employers would then be forced to pay a decent wage in order to attract people to do these menial or dangerous or back-breaking jobs. The presence of the shadow workforce therefore drives down wages. They also prevent fair wages from being realized.

In my opinion, we should have even stiffer laws and penalties against unscrupulous employers who hire these shadow workforce people. I say that if a business is caught doing this, all of its assets, properties, goods, merchandise, everything, should be seized by the local government. The business will now be run by appointed/elected officials, it will actually be owned by the government to serve the greater good. I think this should be able to deter businesses from hiring these illegal aliens. If you do it, your business will be forcibly taken from you (and you will have deserved it, too).

anon55887

all these jobs you talk about nobody wants somebody did them before latinos. I've done construction, picked fruit, loaded melons and cropped tobacco, and it used to be a legitimate job, but now the rich want to make all the money and our government lets them get away with it all.

The money people like me used to make is sent to mexico or hoarded up in a bank by the rich. we live in a trickle down economy and when this happens you get the results of our economy today. the lower class doesn't have money to buy the goods they need that keeps money circulating.

if i roll through a stop sign without making a complete stop with no other car coming, i get a ticket because its the law, yet we have all these people who are here illegally, taking our jobs, living on welfare and food stamps and wic, burdening our people, committing crimes against our people, flying their flags on american soil that our families died to protect.

What happened to a country of the people by the people and for the people?

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    • Some of those in the 'shadow workforce' are homeless.
      By: Lisa F. Young
      Some of those in the 'shadow workforce' are homeless.
    • In the United States, about 87 percent of the shadow workforce is Latino.
      By: Monart Design
      In the United States, about 87 percent of the shadow workforce is Latino.
    • Agriculture is among industries that are part of the shadow workforce.
      By: Sami Kallioniemi
      Agriculture is among industries that are part of the shadow workforce.
    • The construction industry employs shadow workers.
      By: Jean-Yves Foy
      The construction industry employs shadow workers.
    • Shadow workers complete yard work and other chores around the house.
      By: rekemp
      Shadow workers complete yard work and other chores around the house.