Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts

The BPDA Research Division presents a profile on adults in Massachusetts with limited En- glish-speaking abilities. Limited English-Speaking (LES) adults are self-reported as speaking English less than "very well". The profile includes where LES adults live in Massachu- setts, population demographics and workforce statistics. The Boston Planning & Development Agency We strive to understand the current environment of the city to produce quality research and targeted information that will inform and benefit the residents and businesses of Boston. Our Division conducts research on Boston’s economy, population, and commercial markets for all departments of the BPDA, the City of Boston, and related organizations.

The information provided in this report is the best available at the time of its publication. All or partial use of this report must be cited.

Author: Boston Planning & Development Agency, Research Division.

Date: February 2019.

Information: Pease visit bostonplans.org/research-publications for more information.

Requests: Please contact us at bostonplans.org/research-inquiries with additional questions.

Research Division

Director Senior Research Manager Interns Alvaro Lima Economist Kelly McGee Erin Cameron Matthew Resseger Ahsim Shaaban Deputy Director Research Assistants Dilara Sisman Jonathan Lee Senior Demographer Jing Chen Phillip Granberry Avanti Krovi Senior Research Kayla Myros Associate Research Associate Christina Kim Kevin Kang

Visit our website Follow us on Twitter BostonPlans.org twitter.com/BostonPlans

Brian P. Golden, Director Population of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts

Approximately 528,324 Massachusetts residents ages 18 and over speak limited English, self-reporting that they speak English less than “very well”.1 This equates to just under 10 percent of the adult population lacking proficiency in English. Of the limited-English speaking (LES) adults in Massachusetts, approximately 84,000 do not speak English at all, 18,500 speak some English but do not speak it “well”, and 258,000 self-report that they speak English well, but not “very well”. Figure 1 provides the breakdown of Massachusetts adults by English speaking ability.

Massachusetts Residents by English Speaking Ability 2016 FIGURE 1 FIGURE

300,000 258,334 250,000

200,000 185,713

150,000

100,000 84,026 Masschusetts Adult Adult Masschusetts Residents 50,000

0 Not at all Not well Well Ability to Speak English Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, PUMS, BPDA Research Division Analysis.

The largest LES populations are found in the major urban centers of the Commonwealth—including Boston, Lawrence, Worcester, Lowell, and Springfield. Boston alone is home to 100,000 limited-English speaking adults – 11 percent of all adults in Boston. A high share of the adult population in some Massachusetts cities and towns are limited English speakers. The cities and towns with the highest shares of adults speaking limited English are Chelsea (33 percent), Lawrence (31 percent), Lynn (16 percent) and Everett (16 percent).

1 The U.S. Census Bureau collects information regarding a person’s ability to speak English. Respondents who report that they speak a language other than English at home are asked if they speak English “very well,” “well,” “not well,” or “not at all”. For the context of this report, respondents are considered “limited-English speakers” if they respond “not at all,” “not well,” or “well”. Respondents who speak English only or speak English “very well” in addition to another language are considered proficient in English. BostonPlans.org | 3 Limited English Speaking Households

Almost 150,000 households in Massachusetts – 5.6 percent of all households - do not have anyone age 14 or older who is proficient in English. 40.1 percent of these households speak Spanish. Approximately 54,000 school age children (age 5 to 17) live in limited English speaking households. About 11 percent of these children themselves speak English only, but there is no adult in their household who speaks English very well. More than 47 percent of the school age children in limited English speaking households speak Spanish. Map 1 below shows where the Limited English-Speaking adults live in Massachusetts by county subdivision.2

Number of Limited English Speaking (LES) Adults in Massachusetts by County Subdivison MAP 1 2016

County Subdivisions with the Highest Number of LES Adults

Boston 100,147 Worcester 25,165 Lawrence 25,149 Lowell 19,866 Springfield 18,982 Lynn 17,987 Quincy 16,962 Brockton 15,746 New Bedford 14,331 Malden 14,046

- 30,000 60,000 90,000 120,000

2 County sub-divisions are divisions of counties used by the U.S. Census Bureau. In many cases they conform to city/town boundaries.

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts Map 2 shows the number of children aged five to 17 years that live in Limited English-Speaking households in each county-subdivision in Massachusetts.

Number of Children, ages 5 to 17, in Limited English-Speaking Households in Massachusetts by County Subdivision MAP 2 2016

Number of Limited English Speaking (LES) Adults in Massachusetts by County Subdivison 2016

County Subdivision with Highest Number of Children in LES Households Boston 10,196 Worcester 4,044 Lawrence 2,884 Springfield 2,732 Lynn 2,653 Lowell 2,103 New Bedford 2,041 Brockton 1,810 Chelsea 1,737 Quincy 1,615

0 3,000 6,000 9,000 12,000

BostonPlans.org | 5 Limited English speaking adults in Massachusetts tend to be older – 76 percent are age 35 and older, compared to 69 percent of the English proficient population. Figure 2 provides the age distribution of adult limited English speakers compared to those who speak English proficiently.

Massachusetts Adults by Age and English Proficiency 2016 FIGURE 2 FIGURE

40% 36% 35% 35% 30% 25% 20% 20% 20% 17% 19% 17% 15% 14% 15% 10% 7% 5% 0% 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 64 65+

Limited English Speaking English Proficient Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), BPDA Research Division Analysis.

The majority of limited English speaking adults in Massachusetts are Hispanic or Asian – 38 percent are Hispanic and 24 percent are Asian. In contrast, 82% of Massachusetts adults who are proficient in English are non-Hispanic Whites. Figure 3 shows the share of each racial/ethnic group that are limited English speaking.

Massachusetts Adults by Race/Ethnicity and English Proficiency 2016 FIGURE 3 FIGURE

90% 82% 80% 70% 60% 50% 38% 40% 30% 24% 24% 20% 10% 6% 6% 10% 4% 4% 2% 0% White Black/African Hispanic/Latino Asian/Pacific Other American Islander

Limited English Speaking English Proficient Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), BPDA Research Division Analysis.

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts LES adult residents of Massachusetts were born in 147 different countries and territories. The top 20 places of birth are given in Table 1. Of the 31,406 limited English speaking adults who were born in the United States, 65.7 percent were born in Massachusetts.

Top Places of Birth of Adult LES Massachusetts Residents 2016 TABLE 1

Place of Birth LES Massachusetts Percent of LES Adults Massachusetts Adults Dominican Republic 50,687 9.6% Puerto Rico 50,367 9.5% China 47,488 9.0% Brazil 33,374 6.3% USA (excluding territories) 31,406 5.9% El Salvador 28,200 5.3% Haiti 27,922 5.3% Vietnam 24,657 4.7% Portugal 20,647 3.9% Guatemala 19,213 3.6% Cabo Verde 15,216 2.9% India 13,619 2.6% Colombia 11,431 2.2% Cambodia 9,496 1.8% Mexico 7,166 1.4% Massachusetts Adults by Race/Ethnicity and English Proficiency Russia 6,830 1.3% 2016 Azores Islands 6,740 1.3% Honduras 6,484 1.2% Italy 6,480 1.2% Korea 5,709 1.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), BPDA Research Division Analysis.

Overall 16.2 percent of Massachusetts LES adults are native-born U.S. citizens, 37.9 percent are naturalized citizens, and 45.9 percent of LES adults (242,699) are not U.S. citizens. Non-citizens could include green card holders, international students, H-1B workers, refugees, or unauthorized immigrants, among others.

BostonPlans.org | 7 The most commonly spoken language at home for LES residents of Massachusetts is Spanish, which accounts for 38.9 percent of adult LES residents. This is more than three times the frequency of LES adults speaking Portuguese at home (the second most common language) and five times the frequency of LES adults speaking Chinese (the third most common language). The 20 most common languages are presented in Table 2.

Language Spoken at Home of Adult LES Massachusetts Resident

TABLE 2 2016

Language Spoken at Home LES Massachusetts Percent of LES Adults Massachusetts Adults Spanish 205,573 38.9% Portuguese 65,695 12.4% Chinese 37,482 7.1% Haitian 30,891 5.8% Vietnamese 23,360 4.4% Russian 15,640 3.0% Arabic 13,156 2.5% Cantonese 11,032 2.1% Khmer (Cambodian) 10,091 1.9% French 9,499 1.8% Kabuverdianu (Cape Verdean) 8,825 1.7% Mandarin 8,651 1.6% Italian 8,550 1.6% Greek 6,208 1.2% Korean 6,066 1.1% Polish 5,587 1.1% Albanian 4,605 0.9% Hindi 3,889 0.7% Gujarati 3,804 0.7% Japanese 3,220 0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012- 2016 American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), BPDA Research Division Analysis.

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts Limited English speaking adults tend to have lower levels of education than adults who are proficient in English. Almost 37 percent of Limited-English Speaking adults have less than a high school education, and less than 18 percent have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Figure 4 provides a visualization of the relationship between English proficiency and education.

Language Spoken at Home of Adult LES Massachusetts Resident Massachusetts Adults by Educational Attainment and English Proficiency 2016 2016 FIGURE 4 FIGURE

45% 40% 40% 37% 35% 30% 30% 28% 25% 25%

20% 18% 15% 15%

10% 7% 5%

0% Less than high school High school or Some college Bachelor's or higher equivalence

Limited English Speaking English Proficient

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), BPDA Research Division Analysis.

BostonPlans.org | 9 Limited English Speaking Massachusetts Residents in the Workforce

Limited English Speakers living in Massachusetts are less likely to participate in the labor force – 40 percent of LES adults are not in the labor force compared to 31 percent of proficient English speaking adults. Figure 5 shows the employment status and English proficiency of adults in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Adults by Employment Status and English Ability 2016 FIGURE 5 FIGURE

70% 65%

60% 55%

50% 40% 40% 31% 30%

20%

10% 5% 4%

0% Employed Unemployed Not in Labor Force

Limited English Speaking English Proficient

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), BPDA Research Division Analysis. Note: The unemployment rates given by the 5-year ACS will differ from the monthly rates given by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts Limited English Speakers are less likely to hold government jobs than English proficient adults. About 5 percent of LES adults work in government while 12.9 percent of English-proficient adults hold government jobs. LES adults who are self-employed compose 9.7 percent of the population, similar to the 8.8 percent of self-employed, English proficient adults. Figure 6 breaks down Massachusetts resident workers by type of employment.

Massachusetts Adults by Class of Workers and English Proficiency 2016 FIGURE 6 FIGURE Massachusetts Adults by Employment Status and English Ability 2016 90% 83% 77% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30%

20% 13% 10% 9% 10% 5% 2% 1% 0% Private Employee Government Workers Self-Employed Working without pay

Limited English Speaking English Proficient

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis.

BostonPlans.org | 11 There are significant differences in the occupations of limited-English speaking residents and proficient-English speaking residents. LES working adults in Massachusetts make up 9.9 percent of working residents. However, they make up 31 percent of workers in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance, 19 percent of workers in production, transportation, and material moving and 18 percent of workers in food preparation and serving. LES workers are also overrepresented in healthcare support, personal care, natural resources, construction, and maintenance.3 In contrast, limited English speakers make up only four percent of healthcare practitioners, and three percent each of workers in education, management, business, and legal, community, and social services. The relative representation of limited English speakers in different occupations is shown in Figure 7.

Share of Massachusetts Residents Working in Occupations who are LES

FIGURE 7 FIGURE 2016

Building & Grounds, Cleaning & Maintenance 31.0%

Production & Transportation & Material Moving 18.6%

Food Preparation & Serving 17.6%

Natural Resources, Construction, & Maintenance 11.1%

Healthcare Support, Personal Care & Service, & Protective Service 10.9%

Computer, Engineering, & Science 6.2%

Sales Related 5.9%

Office & Administrative Support 5.0%

Healthcare Practitioners & Technical 4.0%

Education, Training, & Library 3.2%

Management 3.1%

Business & Financial 9.9% of Massachusetts resident 3.0% workers are Limited English Speakers

Legal, Community & Social Service, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media 2.8%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis.

Approximately 22 percent of Limited English-Speaking Massachusetts resident workers work in Suffolk County and about half work in Essex, Middlesex, Worcester, Norfolk, Bristol, or Plymouth counties. About 78,000 LES Massachusetts residents (22 percent) work out of state.

3 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting and Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts Table 3 provides the employment of limited English-speaking Massachusetts residents by occupation and place of work.

Occupation of Work for Adult LES Massachusetts Residents by Place of Work 2016 TABLE 3

Berk- Franklin, Essex, Middle- Suffolk Barnstable, Out of Total shire Hampden, & sex, Worcester, County Dukes & State Share of Massachusetts Residents Working in Occupations who are LES County Hampshire Norfolk, Bristol, Nantucket County & Plymouth Counties 2016 Counties Production & Transporta- 260 3,324 39,498 10,829 438 16,570 70,919 tion & Material Moving Building & Grounds, 272 1,666 24,401 13,027 740 8,558 48,664 Cleaning & Maintenance Food Preparation & 675 1,397 18,493 12,059 564 8,649 41,837 Serving Healthcare Support, 153 2,294 19,896 9,300 536 8,366 40,545 Personal Care & Service, & Protective Service Natural Resources, Con- 105 1,122 16,873 5,628 915 8,442 33,085 struction, & Maintenance Office & Administrative 146 1,020 12,806 5,718 149 6,428 26,267 Support Sales Related 43 1,318 11,602 4,758 452 6,258 24,431 Computer, Engineering, & 81 326 10,272 4,765 72 4,008 19,524 Science

Management 7 613 6,938 3,101 193 2,889 13,741 Healthcare Practitioners & 25 540 4,999 2,694 125 1,790 10,173 Technical Education, Training, & 3 457 4,099 2,276 67 2,766 9,668 Library Business & Financial - 94 3,285 2,054 - 1,622 7,055 Legal, Community & Social 21 237 2,710 1,490 75 2,073 6,606 Service, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media Military - - 55 11 - 26 92 Total 1,791 14,408 175,927 77,710 4,326 78,445 352,607

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis. Note: County groupings correspond to Place of Work PUMAs, the smallest available geography.

BostonPlans.org | 13 The median annual earnings of an employed LES adult living in Massachusetts is $25,000, significantly less than the median annual earnings of employed, English-proficient adults—$45,000. Two-thirds of employed LES residents make between $10,000 and $50,000 per year. Figure 8 shows the distribution of personal earnings for employed Massachusetts residents by English proficiency.

Personal Earnings of Employed Massachusetts Residents by English Proficiency 2016 FIGURE 8 FIGURE

35% 34% 32%

30% 26% 25%

20% 20% 16% 15% 14% 12% 11% 11% 10% 9% 6% 5% 4% 2% 2%

0% less than $10,000 to $25,000 to $50,000 to $75,000 to $100,000 to More than $10,000 $24,999 $49,999 $74,999 $99,999 $124,999 $125,000

Limited English Speaking English Proficient

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis.

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts Limited English speaking workers are concentrated in lower-paying occupations such as building and grounds cleaning and maintenance. However, even within the same occupation, limited English speakers make less than those who speak English proficiently. Sales occupations are an extreme example in which English proficient workers earn an average of $57,000 a year, while those with limited English earn an average of $31,000 a year. Figure 9 shows the median earnings of Massachusetts resident full-time and full-year workers.

Median Earnings of Massachusetts Resident Full-Time Full-Year Workers by Occupation and Personal Earnings of Employed Massachusetts Residents by English Proficiency English Proficiency (18+)

2016 9 FIGURE 2016

Computer, Engineering, & Science $81,314 $86,899 Business & Financial $62,290 $73,002 Healthcare Practitioners & Technical $57,251 $76,044 Management $50,696 $87,660 Education, Training, & Library $50,379 $60,214 Legal, Community & Social Service, Arts, Design, $40,557 Entertainment, Sports & Media $60,455 Natural Resources, Construction, & Maintenance $37,166 $51,909 Office & Administrative Support $36,804 $43,143 Production & Transportation & Material Moving $31,145 $42,938 Sales Related $30,670 $57,099 Healthcare Support, Personal Care & Service, Protective $30,228 Service $40,304 Food Preparation & Serving $28,031 $25,348 Building & Grounds, Cleaning & Maintenance $27,457 $36,336

$0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000

Limited English Speaking English Proficient

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis.

BostonPlans.org | 15 Limited English Speaking Adults Working in Massachusetts

Approximately 310,273 limited-English speaking adults work in Massachusetts, 95 percent of whom also live in Massachusetts, and five percent of whom commute from nearby states. Limited English speakers make up nine percent of the people working in Massachusetts.

The industries in Massachusetts employing the most LES workers are accommodation and food services (47,000), health care and social assistance (47,000), manufacturing (39,000), and retail trade (32,000). The industries in Massachusetts with the highest share of workers who are limited English speakers are accommodation and food services at 22 percent, followed by administrative support and waste management at 18 percent. LES workers are also over-represented in other services, wholesale trade, natural resources,4 construction, manufacturing, and transportation & warehousing. Limited English speakers working in Massachusetts are underrepresented in industries such as professional, technical, and scientific services, education, finance and insurance, information, and public administration. Figure 10 illustrates the share of workers in each industry that are limited English speakers.

Share of Limited English Speaking Workers in Massachusetts Industries 2016 FIGURE 10 FIGURE

Accommodation & Food Services 20.9% Administrative Support & Waste Management 17.9% Other Services 16.1% Wholesale Trade 12.8% Natural Resources 12.3% Construction 12.3% Manufacturing 12.3% Transportation & Warehousing 11.2% Retail Trade 8.7% Health Care & Social Assistance 8.1% Real Estate & Rental & Leasing 4.0% Professional, Scientific, Technical & Management Services 3.8% Educational Services 3.6% Management of Companies & Enterprises 3.5% Public Administration 3.1% Finance & Insurance 2.8% 8.8% of people working Information 2.6% in Massachusetts are Arts, Entertainment & Recreation 2.2% Limited English Speakers Utilities 1.3%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis.

4 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting and Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction

Demographic Profile of Adult Limited English Speakers in Massachusetts Limited-English Speaking workers are concentrated in the eastern part of the state: 92 percent work in Essex, Middlesex, Worcester, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth or Suffolk counties. In comparison, 85 percent of English-proficient workers in Massachusetts hold jobs in these counties. Table 4 reviews the number of LES workers in all industries by place of work in Massachusetts.

Industry of Work for Adult LES Massachusetts Workers by Place of Work TABLE 4 2016

Berkshire Franklin, Essex, Middle- Suffolk Barnstable, All of County Hampden, & sex, Worcester, County Dukes, & Massachu- Hampshire Norfolk, Bristol, Nantucket setts Counties & Plymouth Counties Counties Accommodation & 290 1,889 23,997 20,369 943 47,488 Food Services Health Care & Social 103 3,729 24,922 17,641 973 47,368 Assistance Manufacturing 96 2,518 31,914 4,307 64 38,899 Retail Trade 227 1,663 22,025 7,369 582 31,866 Other Services 61 428 20,199 5,748 509 26,945 Share of Limited English Speaking Workers in Massachusetts Industries Construction 134 152 17,646 6,813 1,434 26,179 2016 Administrative Sup- 0 406 15,633 5,648 722 22,409 port & Waste Manage- ment Services Educational Services 0 1,158 7,889 5,396 31 14,474 Professional, Scientific, 13 747 7,800 4,923 107 13,590 Technical & Manage- ment Services Transportation & 0 404 6,624 5,296 0 12,324 Warehousing Wholesale Trade 0 0 6,934 3,954 0 10,888 Finance & Insurance 0 298 2,786 2,444 0 5,528 Public Administration 0 308 2,183 1,939 0 4,430 Real Estate & Rental & 0 146 597 1,662 0 2,405 Leasing Information 0 0 1,651 542 0 2,193 Natural Resources 0 249 1,206 134 0 1,589 Arts, Entertainment & 125 0 1,148 0 144 1,417 Recreation Utilities 0 0 206 75 0 281 Total 1,049 14,095 195,360 94,260 5,509 310,273

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey, BPDA Research Division Analysis. Note: County groupings correspond to Place of Work PUMAs, the smallest available geography.

BostonPlans.org | 17