Quick Takes

Published: April 2012

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Labor Force

• In 2011:
  • Number of Latinos/Latinas in the labor force: 20,269,000¹
  • Percentage of labor force: 14.5%²
  • Percentage of Latinos/Latinas who participated in the labor force: 66.5%³
  • Number of Latinos/Latinas employed in management, professional, and related occupations: 3,952,000 (7.5% of all people employed in management, professional, and related occupations)⁴
• In 2000:
  • Number of Latinos/Latinas in the labor force: 16,689,000⁵
  • Percentage of labor force: 11.7%⁶
• Projections for 2020:
  • Number of Latinos/Latinas in the labor force: 30,493,000⁷
  • Percentage of labor force: 18.6%⁸
  • Increase of Latinos/Latinas in the labor force between 2000 and 2020: 82.7%⁹
• In 2010, Latinas held .7% of Fortune 100 board seats, and Latino men held 3.1%.¹⁰

Educational Achievement

• Numbers getting bachelor’s degrees in 2008-2009: 129,526 (8.1% of all people getting bachelor’s).¹¹
• Numbers getting master’s degrees in 2008-2009: 39,439 (6.0% of all people getting master’s).¹²
• Numbers getting doctoral degrees in 2008-2009: 2,540 (3.8% of all people getting PhD’s). ¹³

Income

• Among full-time wage and salary workers in 2011, Latinas’ median weekly earnings were $518, compared to $571 for Latino men.¹⁴

Weekly Earnings by Race/Ethnic Group¹⁵

 

Buying Power

• Latinas/Latinos’ buying power has increased from $210.0 billion in 1990 to $1.0 trillion in 2010 and is projected to climb to $1.7 trillion in 2017.¹⁶
• The percentage change in Latinas/Latinos’ buying power between 1990 and 2017 is 698.3%.¹⁷
• Latinas/Latinos’ share of the consumer market was 9.1% in 2010, and is expected to rise to 11.1% by 2017.¹⁸

Note: Latinos/Latinas/Hispanics may be of any race.

Sources

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished tabulations from the 2011 Current Population Survey, "Employed and Experienced Unemployed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity," Annual Averages 2011 (2012).

² Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished tabulations from the 2011 Current Population Survey, "Employed and Experienced Unemployed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity," Annual Averages 2011 (2012).

³ Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 4: Employment Status of the Hispanic or Latino Population by Age and Sex," Annual Averages 2011 (2012).

⁴ Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished tabulations from the 2011 Current Population Survey, "Employed and Experienced Unemployed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity," Annual Averages 2011 (2012).

⁵ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, "Table 3.4: Civilian Labor Force by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 1990, 2000, 2010, and Projected 2020" (2012).

⁶ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, "Table 3.4: Civilian Labor Force by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 1990, 2000, 2010, and Projected 2020" (2012).

⁷ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, "Table 3.4: Civilian Labor Force by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 1990, 2000, 2010, and Projected 2020" (2012).

⁸ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, "Table 3.4: Civilian Labor Force by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 1990, 2000, 2010, and Projected 2020" (2012).

⁹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, "Table 3.4: Civilian Labor Force by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 1990, 2000, 2010, and Projected 2020" (2012).

¹⁰ The Alliance for Board Diversity, Updated Datasheet: Alliance for Board Diversity Report: Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards (2011).

¹¹ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 297: Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred by Degree Granting Institutions, By Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Field of Study, 2008-2009," Digest of Education Statistics: 2010 (2011).

¹² National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 300: Master’s Degrees Conferred by Degree Granting Institutions, By Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Field of Study, 2008-2009," Digest of Education Statistics: 2010 (2011).

¹³ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 303: Doctor’s Degrees Conferred by Degree Granting Institutions, By Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Field of Study, 2008-2009," Digest of Education Statistics: 2010 (2011).

¹⁴ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 37: Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, 2011" (2012).

¹⁵ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 37: Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, 2011" (2012).

¹⁶ Jeffrey M. Humphreys, The Multicultural Economy 2012 (Selig Center for Economic Growth, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, 2012).

¹⁷ Jeffrey M. Humphreys, The Multicultural Economy 2012 (Selig Center for Economic Growth, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, 2012).

¹⁸ Jeffrey M. Humphreys, The Multicultural Economy 2012 (Selig Center for Economic Growth, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, 2012).

UPDATED April 30, 2012