New York Survey of Low-Wage Korean Immigrant Workers: No Overtime, No Union, No Workers Comp

posted 4/26/06

(The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and YKASEC–Empowering the Korean American Community recently issued a report this month about Korean American Immigrant Workers. This is an edited version of the executive summary of the report available here.)

There are over 200,000 Korean Americans working in the New York City area, many of them living below the poverty line. These working poor include waiters, hairdressers, nail salon workers, and grocery cashiers. Many workers in the Korean community are often subjected to serious, unlawful labor violations – they are not properly paid minimum wage or overtime, are forced to work in hazardous conditions, for overly long hours, and without proper safety equipment. Many face additional barriers because they are immigrants and/or non-citizens.

AALDEF's Korean Workders Project surveyed 184 Korean immigrant workers employed in various low-wage industries, including dry cleaners, garment manufacturing, groceries and delis, restaurants, hair and nail salons, and health spas. They found that:

• 28% of workers surveyed are undocumented immigrants.
• Almost all (94%) of the workers are limited English proficient.
• The average number of hours worked per week is 55.
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of workers work more than 50 hours per week.
• Nearly half (47%) work 60 hours or more.
• 73% of workers said they have no agreement to get paid a higher amount for overtime hours.
• 15% have experienced health problems or gotten injured as a result of their job.
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of the workers did not know about workers compensation.
• More than half (55%) did not know about unemployment insurance, and only 11% of workers have actually ever applied.
• Close to a quarter (24%) of all workers think they will lose their jobs if they complain to management.
• 91% are not part of a union or any other organization to protect them.
• Nearly one-third (31%) currently hold more than one job to support themselves.

These findings indicate that Korean workers in the metropolitan New York area continue to face serious problems in the workplace. They are more likely to be undocumented immigrants, and much more likely to be limited English proficient than the Korean American population as a whole. Perhaps because of these reasons, the large majority of Korean workers are working more than 40 hours a week, but do not get paid proper overtime wages for these hours, nor are they aware of the rights they have to file for benefits if they are unemployed or are injured on the job. These findings underline the need for stronger efforts at education and outreach to this disadvantaged population.