Minority workers and women workers represent large segments of Florida’s workforce, but often face extra barriers to achieving self-sufficiency. By paying attention to the needs of women and minority workers we can solve some of the most intractable problems of poverty and inequality.

Immigrants are an important part of Florida’s workforce and social and cultural fabric, but often face difficult challenges in achieving the American dream. RISEP continues to highlight the economic challenges for immigrants and has conducted special investigations into several industries where immigrants predominate in South Florida, such as construction, groundskeeping and maintenance work, and agriculture. Together with FIU’s Immigration and Ethnicity Institute we have broad expertise on the social, cultural, and economic ecology of South Florida.