65% of Latinos Are Losing Jobs, Money Thanks to Coronavirus

Share On Social!

Recent polling on coronavirus-related unemployment is illuminating alarming statics — mainly, Latinos are bearing the burden of the economic tidal wave impacting the U.S.

Nearly 65% of Latino respondents reported losing jobs, experiencing monetary struggles, or know someone who has, according to a recent poll from SOMOS Community Care and Latino Decisions.

Latinos already experience high levels of coronavirus negative impact, exposure, and death.

“There’s a large part of the Latino community that exists on the edges of American society,” Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro told Newsweek. “This pandemic has shown the consequences of some of the inequities in our system.”

What does the Poll Report?

SOMOS—a New York-based network of physicians serves low-income, minority, and immigrant communities—polled 1,200 Latinos from April 7 to April 12.

They found that:

• 33% of Latinos have lost significant savings and retirement
• 57% of Latinos had to cancel or delay medical appointments
• 43% of Latinos expect to have trouble paying their rent

Civic leaders cite this data as the reason for more comprehensive aid for Latinos, people of color, and other disadvantaged groups.

“The numbers are alarming, and wake-up call for lawmakers to include assistance for essential workers such as farmworkers, grocery store clerks, and health care professionals and also mixed-status families, children who are American citizens, in the next coronavirus response package,” Castro told Latino Decisions, a Latino political opinion research group and co-organizer of the poll.

This poll found even more disconcerting information concerning the health side of this illness.

At the national level, the survey showed that:

• 22% of all Latino adults know someone who is ill due to coronavirus
• 50% of Latino in the New York/New Jersey metros know someone who is sick due to coronavirus
• 25% of all Latinos know someone who wants to be tested for the virus but can’t
• 35% of Latino in the New York/New Jersey metros know someone who wants to be tested for the virus but can’t
• 59% of all Latinos say they are worried about becoming or someone they know becoming seriously ill

How Will This Impact People of Color Long-Term?

Currently, numerous reports show that people of color are being most impacted but are not receiving the assistance they need to whether this virus’s storm.

Recent government aid packed has not done enough to address these concerns, according to Castro.

“Congress has a responsibility to protect every community, and this survey shows that economic relief is not reaching the Latino community despite being disproportionately impacted,” Castro told Latino Decisions.

Worse, the consequences of this economic devastation will be long-lasting, according to political leaders.

“It’s not something that is going to go away on May 15 or even by December 31,” Henry Muñoz, the former DNC finance chair and founder of SOMOS, told Newsweek. “It’s the intersection of all the historic neglect brought into focus, not just with health care, but also job loss and the economy, the digital divide, and education.”