The state’s Latino residents, in addition to experiencing disproportionately high rates of unemployment and infection from the COVID-19 pandemic, are also at higher risk of losing their businesses.
An April study by Pew Research Center said 61% of Hispanic adults reported that they or someone in their household had lost a job or taken a pay cut due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is a much greater percentage than both black adults and white adults surveyed.
Latinos make up 45% of positive COVID-19 cases in North Carolina. With that number on the rise, essential workers remain disproportionately affected, especially immigrant workers in the food system.