The Impact of Job Insecurity in Central America: Driving Migration to the United States, as Explained by CEPAL

According to a report by MIT scholars, economic distress is the main factor driving migration from Central America to the United States. The report highlights low wages, unemployment, and minimal income levels as factors increasing the desire to emigrate, ahead of reasons such as violence or natural disasters. The report also notes that only 3% of people in the survey said they had made concrete plans to migrate, but 23% of those experiencing food insecurity had made concrete plans to leave.

Similarly, a recent article by The Observatorial explains that job insecurity in Central America is driving migration to the United States. The article notes that the main motives for Central American migration to the United States are economic, above violence, insecurity, natural disasters, or family.

Another report by the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies highlights that for many Central Americans, migration is a tried-and-true poverty-reduction strategy, and working in the US or Canada improves their economic prospects.
The effects of these migrations on the economies and societies of the Americas have been profound and are likely to intensify in the months and years to come.

The United States can play a pivotal role in managing and reducing migration pressures in the Americas by providing leadership and resources to drive collective responses from regional stakeholders and set a positive example in its own treatment of migrant populations.