After Sandy, day laborers see an increased demand for their work

Hurricane Sandy’s devastation has created an uptick in demand for many day laborers — a largely immigrant work force, the New York Times reported. Their work, which can range from carrying damaged items from flooded basements to installing new flooring in storm-battered homes, has been a boon in a time when demolition and construction services have been slow.

“While we have lots of sorrow for those who lost everything, at the same time Sandy has done us a favor by creating jobs that were not there,” Manuel Sinchi, an Ecuadorean immigrant and day laborer, told the Times.

And day laborers needed in storm-damaged locations have been receiving more money for their work as of late — $120 per day, as opposed to $60 to $80, which is the norm, said Gonzalo Mercado, the executive director of Staten Island’s El Centro del Inmigrante. [NYT] —Zachary Kussin