A new survey from the MassINC details the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinos in Massachusetts, and finds Latinos living in the western and central parts of the state may have more of a buffer.
Statewide, 20% of Massachusetts Latinos in the workforce are unemployed and looking for jobs, according to the survey. About a third said they've had to get groceries at a food bank.
But Latinos west of Boston and its suburbs are more likely to be employed full time and more likely to have been working from home during the pandemic.
Other recent surveys show parallels between Latino and Black communities, said MassINC researcher Maeve Duggan.
“The coronavirus crisis is not strictly limited to health impacts,” Duggan said. “This snowballs and compounds other issues, like housing payments, food insecurity, lost pay, lost jobs.”
Massachusetts public health data show Black and Hispanic residents of the state have seen disproportionate rates of the novel coronavirus, and higher hospitalization rates.
Nine of the 10 cities and towns with the highest rates of COVID infection are also communities where more than half the residents identify as people of color.
