Summary

Across all nations, immigrant workers typically are the ones performing the most strenuous and dangerous jobs available. In response to stricter immigration enforcement in workplaces, day laborers and employers forge informal work agreements, but ultimately face adverse health effects from work. The population of day laborers in the U.S., which is composed mainly of Latin American men, face the brunt of working conditions that are stressful, dangerous, and exploitative. Using a nationally representative sample of 2015 day laborers from the National Day Labor Survey, this study examines the relationship between the factors in and outside of the workplace and the health of day laborers. Coupled with psychological stressors outside of the workplace, such as lack of housing or healthcare, day laborers face increased risk for poor mental and physical well-being.