Hispanic and Black workers are disproportionately paid low wages relative to their share in the workforce, with Hispanic workers making up over half of all workers paid low wages
The bars show the share of workers in the labor force and the share of workers who are paid low wages for each racial/ethnic group. For example, 40.4% of all workers are Hispanic but Hispanics make up over half (55.9%) of all low-wage workers.
Bar chart comparing the racial/ethnic composition of the general California workforce in 2022 to that of the low-wage workforce. The racial/ethnic groups are: Hispanic, Non-Hispanic white, Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) alone, and Non-Hispanic multiracial/other. Ultimately, Hispanic workers are overrepresented in low-wage work, with 55.9% of low-wage workers identifying as Hispanic, despite Hispanics making up just over 40% of all workers. Non-Hispanic Black workers are slightly overrepresented, with 5.3% of low-wage workers and 5% of all workers identifying as Black. Relative to their share of the workforce, all other groups are equally or underrepresented in low-wage work.
