Puerto Ricans largely began migrating in the United States shortly after World War II; this period was known as the Great Migration. The population on the island was increasing substantially, and the amount of people living below the poverty line greatly increased as well (as a direct result of the growing population and limited resources). Migration was seen as a partial solution to this population problem. Many Puerto Ricans began migrating to the U.S. via jet planes, which provided faster, cheaper transportation that was being utilized for the first time by the public. “Migration has been an important aspect of Puerto Rico’s economic development for the past four decades. Unfortunately, the only source of historical data on the migratory flows is the net flow of passengers at the airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the 1950s, there was an annual average outflow of 45,800 passengers. This outflow decreased on an average of 27,300 between 1960 and 1969 and 24,300 between 1970 and 1979” (Borjas, George J. and Richard B. Freeman 1992, pgs. 2-52). As migration continued people were coming for various different reasons,
but one of the most important reasons was because of the economic advantage. Jobs were more abundant in the United States than in Puerto Rico, the average wage was considerably higher, and economic prospects and opportunities for improvement were generally greater. “In addition to reducing the population, policy makers hoped to foster more dispersed settlement in the States and to temper the hostility Puerto Ricans were encountering, especially in New York City. Policy makers then turned to a contract labor program…With the farm labor program, the goals of Puerto Rico’s policy makers intersected with U.S. policy maker’ and employers’ search for cheap seasonal agricultural labor” (Carmen Teresa Whalen 2001, pgs. 55-56). Although the labor companies in the United States usually gave most of their jobs to men, Puerto Rican women also entered the work force upon their arrival in the United States. 
"Hard-working Puerto Rican women were especially welcomed in the garment district shops. The city [New York City] also provided the sort of low-skilled service industry jobs that non-English speakers needed to make a living on the mainland" (Green 2009). Jobs were abundant, especially for those willing to be put through rigorous work, long hours, and less-than-standard work conditions. Emigration from Puerto Rico (image). http://lcw.lehman.edu/lehman/depts/latinampuertorican/latinoweb/PuertoRico/1950s.h10 December 2009.
New York City Skyline (image). http://dietrichthrall.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/mayor-bloomberg-furious-slams-poor-judgment-by-white-house-over-nyc-skyline-flyby-by-presidents-747-video/. 10 December 2009.
Puerto Rican Migration Patterns, 1995-2000 (graphic by Angelo Falcón) (image). http://www.answers.com/topic/puerto-ricans-in-the-united-states-1. 10 December 2009.
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