landing managerial positions. At the same time, fewer are doing jobs that require manual labor.
Some 13% of undocumented immigrants had management or professional jobs in 2012, up from 10% in 2007, according to a new Pew Research Center report. Meanwhile, 29% held construction or production posts, suchas a food processor, garment worker or machinist, down from 34% in 2007.
The transition reflects a shift within the undocumented population in recent years. More than six in 10 of these immigrants have been in the U.S. for a decade or longer, compared to just over three out of 10in 2003
.
That's because there have been more undocumented workers leaving the country than coming into it, especially since the Great Recession, when many job opportunities dried up. Since 2007, about one million undocumented workers have left the U.S., said Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer at Pew. There were some 11.2 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. in 2012.
It's not surprising that some undocumented immigrants are taking on more responsibilities at workthe longer they stay in this country, Passel said. The most common managerial positions for these workers are in food service and farming and agriculture.
Although it's illegal for undocumented immigrants to work in the U.S., many find ways to circumvent the rules. Some came here legally, but overstayed their work visa. Others use forged documents. Still others work off the books or as day laborers getting paid in cash. And some companies don't verify the information they receive.
Still, the majority of undocumented immigrant workers continue to toil in agriculture,construction and hospitality. Also, they are more likely to hold low-skilled jobs than their native-born counterparts.
For instance, some 62% held service, construction andproductionposts, twice the share of U.S.-born workers.
