WASHINGTON, DC – To mark Hispanic Heritage Month, the Hispanic Leadership Network (HLN) today released the top 10 facts about the state of Hispanics in the U.S. A complete infographicis included below.
"As we honor the innumerable contributions to our country of the more than 50 million Americans of Hispanic descent, we must reflect on the current state of affairs and continue to engage Latinos in the important, ongoing policy debate in our country. Thoughtful discussion will further advance our position of political and economic strength as the largest ethnic minority in the United States," said HLN Executive Director Jennifer S. Korn.
JOBS and ECONOMY: At an astounding 10.2%, the Hispanic unemployment rate is four points higher than it was in January 2008. August 2012 marked the 44th month in a row that Hispanic unemployment was over 10%, including a record high of 13.1% in November of 2010 (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012).
At an astounding 10.2%, the Hispanic unemployment rate is four points higher than it was in January 2008. August 2012 marked the 44th month in a row that Hispanic unemployment was over 10%, including a record high of 13.1% in November of 2010 (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012).
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE: In 2009, 63% of Hispanic students graduated from high school, a significant increase from the 2008 rate of 58.5% (Education Week, 2012).
COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE: In 2010, 8.5% of all bachelor's degree recipients were Hispanic, up from 8.1% in 2009. While a step in the right direction, the share of Hispanic college graduates still lags all other ethnic groups (Pew Hispanic Center, 2012).
COLLEGE ENROLLMENT: Hispanics made up 16.5% of college enrollments in 2011, making them the largest minority enrolled in college. (Pew Research Center, 2012)
UNINSURED RATE: In 2010, 30.7% of Hispanics were uninsured compared to 16.3% of the overall population (U.S. Census, 2010).
HOMEOWNERSHIP: In 2010, 47.5% of Hispanics owned their homes, a drop from the 49.1% Hispanic homeownership rate registered in 2008 (U.S. Census, 2010).
FORECLOSURES: From 2007 to 2009, Latinos faced a foreclosure rate of 7.7% - a rate two full points higher than the 5.7% foreclosure rate of the overall population during the same period of time (Center for Responsible Lending, 2010).
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP: There are approximately 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of Latino businesses increased by nearly 44%, that is more than twice the national rate of 18% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).
MILITARY RECRUITMENT: Today, 11.9% of recruits are Hispanic (National Priorities Project, 2010) and 10.8% of the U.S. active duty military force is Hispanic (Department of Defense Demographic Report, 2010).
MIGRATION: In 2010, 31% of legal immigrants were Latinos compared to 36% who were Asian (Pew Research Center, 2010).
- Tags: Hispanic Heritage Month HISPANIC LEADERSHIP NETWORK
- Categories: Politics
