Dead-End Jobs.

Examples of common occupations for L.A.'s working poor community

Gardener

Characteristics: Male, Latino, often from rural Mexico. Low educational attainment, often speaks little or no English.

Wages and benefits: Between $50 and $80 for a 10-to-12-hour day. No vacation, no benefits.

Opportunities within industry: Most gardening operations are run by independent contractors who own their equipment and employ a number of workers. Typically, employees are new arrivals from Mexico or Central America who can work their way up by saving money to buy a truck and equipment of their own. Building their own route can produce income of between $20,000 and $30,000 a year.

Obstacles to advancement: A Constant influx of new immigrants are willing to undercut price in order to establish their own businesses. As a consequence, there is constant downward pressure on prices and wages. The average amount that homeowners pay to have their garden done has not increased in more than 10 years.

Economy: At one time, many people tended their own yards. But yard work and other domestic chores have become the domain of immigrant labor -- in part because they're so affordable. With a limitless supply of cheap labor ready to do the work at a relatively low price, gardeners have become an integral part of the domestic service industry.

Hotel housekeeper

Characteristics: Female, Latina, often speaks little or no English.

Wages and benefits: Between $5.75 and $9.50 an hour, depending on whether hotel is unionized.

Opportunities within industry: Typically, hotel housekeepers are recent immigrants from Mexico or Central America. Most must travel long distances by bus from their neighborhoods to posh hotels in places like Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. There is little room for career advancement, other than finding a similar job at a unionized hotel, where the wages are higher and benefits are included.

Obstacles to advancement: Many-hotel workers must work more than one job to support their families. As a result, they don't have time to take English classes to improve their skills and qualify for higher-paying jobs. In addition, there is very little crossover in many hotels between housekeeping jobs and more lucrative positions like receptionist or bartender.

Economy: As tourism has made a comeback in Los Angeles, the demand for inexpensive hotel labor has been high. Critics argue, however, that wages paid in L.A. County are lower than those at comparable hotels in San Francisco, New York and Hawaii.

Sewing machine operator

Characteristics: Female, Latina, limited education and English-speaking skills.

Wages and benefits: From $5.75 to $9 an hour. Usually no benefits.

Opportunities within industry: Although the job requires skill and experience, wages are depressed because of the competitive retail environment. There are better-paying jobs in the garment industry, such as markers, cutters, production managers and quality-control supervisors, but few sewing machine operators have enough training or English-language skills to make the transition. Vocational courses at community colleges on the weekend are one option for acquiring new skills.

Obstacles to advancement: Because of the negative public image of the garment industry, few publicly financed training programs exist. Without them, it's impossible for workers to advance, either within or outside the industry.

Economy: Cheap labor was a key factor in the rapid growth of the garment industry in Los Angeles. But as consolidation drives down prices, manufacturers have started to move low-end production out of town to Mexico. High-end production is still expected to grow in L.A., but these better-paying jobs require skilled and well-trained workers.