The Pew Hispanic Center reports that the median income of households headed by non-citizen immigrants fell 7.3% between 2006 and 2007. 45% of these households are headed by an illegal immigrant. Given has about half of these illegal workers are estimated ot be pain in full or part in cash. I am not very confident about these figures. However, the collapse of the residential construction market has probably wiped out a lot of relatively high paying jobs, and demand for illegal labor has probably peaked or declined in all other job sectors.
The press release:
WASHINGTON – The median annual income of non-citizen immigrant households fell 7.3% from 2006 to 2007. In contrast, the median annual income of all U.S. households increased 1.3% during the same period. A Pew Hispanic Center report released today analyzes recent trends in the incomes of the nation’s 8.2 million non-citizen immigrant households and identifies who among them experienced the largest losses. About half (45%) of non-citizen immigrant households are headed by an undocumented immigrant.
The decline in the economic fortunes of non-citizen households represents a sharp turnaround from the preceding year. Incomes of non-citizen households in 2006 were 4.1% higher than income levels in 2005. Incomes of all U.S. households, meanwhile, had increased 0.7%.
Overall, the income of non-citizen households has displayed great instability in the past decade, fluctuating much more than the average for all U.S. households. For example, household income for non-citizens increased 9.8% in 2000, the last year of an historic expansion, and fell 4.2% in 2001, the first year of a recession and economic slowdown.
The Center’s estimates show that household incomes have fallen most for non-citizens who are Hispanic; from Mexico, other Latin American countries and the Caribbean; recently arrived; males, either unmarried or with no spouse present; lacking a high school education; and employed in construction, production or service occupations. Those characteristics of non-citizen households experiencing declines in income that are higher than average are also associated with likely undocumented status for the head of household.