PAGE 15 August Issue 2021
According to Salgado, the four main industries for labor
trafficking are agriculture, construction, domestic servitude,
and state fairs. Data from the 2015 U.S. Census data shows
foreign-born workers make up 16.5 percent of the working
age population. However, they make up a much larger portion
of certain labor-intensive fields. From 2008 to 2012,
immigrants made up 72.9 percent of field and crop workers.
Immigrants make up more than half the labor force in the
industries listed below, numbers Salgado said have likely
grown exponentially since. The top ten occupations with the
highest share of immigrant workers include:
● Plasterers and stucco masons – 72%
● Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems
assemblers – 66.8%
● Sewing machine operators – 55.3%
● Pressers of textiles, garments, and related materials –
54.4%
● Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers – 52.8%
● Agricultural workers – 52.2%
● Personal appearance workers, such as manicurists – 51.4%
● Painters in construction and maintenance industries –
51.4%
● Medical scientists, life scientists, and other – 50.8%
● Maids and housekeeping cleaners – 50.6%
Domestic servitude and state fairs prey on individuals easy to
exploit. Mothers in housekeeping jobs are paid next to nothing
for substandard conditions and runaway youth with criminal
backgrounds are blackmailed into free state fair labor.
Industries such as construction operate on a bidding system,
allowing certain checks and balances to fall through the
cracks. When a job is needed, different companies bid and the
construction company that outbids the rest wins the contract
– no questions asked. Salgado raised the question, if the bid
barely covers the cost of materials, will workers receive a fair
wage? This is where the ability to identify nuances of labor
trafficking plays a critical role.
In a study conducted by the National Institute of Justice
on the Department of Justice, it was found that police
and prosecutors were commonly unfamiliar with labor
laws. They also lacked the ability to identify instances of
labor trafficking in various settings.
"The people coming across labor trafficking cases are
often coming at it from a general perspective," Salgado
said. "If you don't know the nuances from industry to
industry – how recruitment happens, transportation,
housing, payment, breaks, etc. – if you don't know that
or the labor laws, you won't be able to identify labor
trafficking. You won't be able to access the workers and
identify their issues."
"If you work in the labor unions, a lot of the industries
you represent, the labor force is made up of immigrant
workers," said Salgado. "Your contribution to the fight
against labor trafficking is key." Watch the recorded
presentation to learn more.
The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual
Violence (MCADSV) helps victims of all forms of human
trafficking in Missouri. The organization's collaborative
partnerships include trafficking survivors, service
providers, faith-based groups, legislators, the Supreme
Court, and Attorney General of Missouri. Learn more
about MCADSV and see all services and resources
provided at https://www.mocadsv.org/Human-
Trafficking/. Immigrant and refugee resources and multi-
language materials for providers are also available.
For immediate help, contact the National Human
Trafficking Hotline at 1.888.373.7888, text 233733, or
chat with someone live.
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