Report: Some Nail Salon Workers Are Among The Worst Paid Californians. Now They Want Change

MARCH 19, 2024

Gluing miniature gems onto glittery nails. Swirling designs onto the tips of a French manicure.

Manicurists have to stay on top of trends with the same attentiveness they give their clients’ cuticles — all the while breathing in fumes from solvents and glues.

“When I opened acetone bottles to remove customers’ nail polish, the smell would make my eyes and nose water — just like allergies,” said Trish Nguyen, who used to work at a salon in Westminster.

But for all the demands of the job, the nail salon workforce — mostly comprised of Vietnamese immigrant women — has some of the worst paid workers in California. That’s according to a report on the state’s nail salon industry released Tuesday by the UCLA Labor Center in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative.