Day Labor Program and Resource Centers

The Day Labor Resource Centers Program in the City of Los Angeles is a public safety program that allows persons seeking casual labor work to safely congregate and be matched with employers seeking temporary workers. All services are free of charge.

The Day Labor Resource Center program provides fixed hiring centers in selected areas of the City where persons participating in the casual labor force can safely congregate to solicit employment from residents and businesses seeking day labor. As such, these centers provide valuable community service to residents, merchants, and others so that they feel comfortable and safe while seeking work in public.

A Day Labor Resource Center provides a safe space away from traffic and busy streets, decreasing the potential for an accident and providing basic amenities to day laborers such as water, coffee, bread, lavatories, waste disposal, benches and shade. The resource system provides core services that include, but are not limited to:

All resources and services are FREE to employers and day laborers at all sites.

The program is administered by the Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD). Two LA City contractors currently operate the sites:

• Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA)
• Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
• Hope the Mission

Contractor staff members supervise the workers congregating at the site and are responsible for ensuring that the site is safe, clean, drug and alcohol-free and violence-free. Each site has a system to dispatch jobs fairly.

The staff also provides community outreach services. The outreach services are designed to bring the day laborers and employers to the site, coordinate with the businesses that attract the day laborers, and work with community members and organizations to address local issues and concerns related to the presence of day laborers. Basic amenities like water, coffee, bread, sanitary facilities, and shelter are provided on-site. Site staff coordinates various on-site activities. On-site activities and services are also provided through volunteers and religious and community organizations.

The in-kind activities and services provided vary based on availability and can include English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, legal counseling regarding immigration and employment issues, financial literacy and money management, computer literacy with access to phones and the internet, clothing, and food. The day laborers are encouraged to volunteer and participate in various community activities, including community cleanup programs and civic involvement.