The Hispanic 

Labor Force 

in the Recovery

U.S. Department of Labor

March 31, 2011
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 1

THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE

At nearly 23 million, people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity represented 15 percent of the United States’ labor force 

in 2010. By 2018, Hispanics are expected to comprise 18 percent of the labor force.

In 2010, 59 percent of Hispanics aged 16 and over were employed and just under 1 in 5 of those employed were 

working part-time. Forty-one (41) percent of all employed Hispanics in 2010 were women, compared to 46 percent 

among employed whites.1

 Women represent a smaller share of the Hispanic labor force both because of the high 

labor force participation of Hispanic men and the lower labor force participation rate of Hispanic women compared 

to whites.

Employed Hispanics are much 

less likely to have a college 

degree than are either whites 

or blacks.2

 Approximately one 

in six employed Hispanics aged 

25 and over have completed 

a bachelor’s degree, less than 

half the proportion among 

employed whites. This gap in 

the share of employed Hispanics and whites who are college 

graduates has widened over 

the past decade. Between 2000 

and 2010, the gap between 

employed whites with a college education and employed 

Hispanics with a college education grew from 17.6 percentage points to 19.2 percentage 

points.

Hispanics are more likely 

than either whites or blacks 

to be employed in the private 

sector, with more than 8 in 10 

employed Hispanics working 

in the private sector, not 

including the unincorporated 

self-employed. Conversely, 

Hispanics are less likely to 

work for government than 

are either whites or blacks. 

Self-employment is a growing 

alternative to private sector 

employment among Hispanics. 

In 2010, 6.3 percent of Hispanics were self-employed. According to the most recent Census Bureau Survey of 

Business Owners (2007), Hispanic-owned businesses are the fastest growing small business sector, expanding at 

nearly twice the rate of the national average between 2002 and 2007. 

1 Hispanics who select white when identifying race are included in white category as well as the Hispanic category.

2 Hispanics who select black when identifying race are included in black category as well as the Hispanic category.

Table 1. Unemployment, employment, and earnings characteristics by race and 

Hispanic ethnicity, 2010 annual averages

Hispanics Whites Blacks

Characteristics of the employed 

% Employed (employment -population ratio 

among those 16 and older)

59.0 59.4 52.3

% Usually working part time 19.1 20.1 17.5

% Women (age 16 and over) 40.7 46.3 54.3

% College graduates (age 25 and over) 16.9 36.1 26.0

% Working in the private sector (wage and 

salary workers)

82.6 77.8 76.3

% Working in the public sector 11.0 14.6 19.8

% Self-employed (unincorporated) 6.3 7.4 3.8

Weekly earnings

Total $535 $765 $611 

Men $560 $850 $633 

Women $508 $684 $592

Characteristics of the unemployed 

Unemployment rate 12.5 8.7 16.0

% Women (age 16 and over) 39.8 40.7 45.7

Median duration of unemployment in weeks 18.8 20.3 25.9

% Long-term unemployed (27 weeks or 

more)

39.3 41.9 48.4

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey

Note: Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Those 

identified as White or Black includes those Hispanics who selected White or Black when queried 

about their race.
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 2

Half of Hispanics working full-time earned $535 or more per week in 2010. This median weekly wage was only 70 

percent of that earned by whites. This gap in earning has been largely stable over the recession and recovery period. 

The unemployment rate averaged 12.5 percent among Hispanics in 2010. The most recent unemployment report in 

February 2011 shows that the economic situation is improving for all Americans, including Hispanics, who have seen 

their unemployment rate decline to 11.6 percent. In addition, unemployed Hispanics experience a shorter duration 

of unemployment and are less likely to join the ranks of the long-term unemployed than are either their white or 

black counterparts. However, the higher rate of unemployment among all Hispanics means that a greater share of 

Hispanics will experience long-term unemployment than will whites.

PERIODS OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment rate peaked for this business cycle at 10.1 percent in October 2009. Among Hispanics, the unemployment rate reached a high of 13.2 percent the following year in November 2010, while it peaked for whites at 9.4 

percent in October 2009 and at 16.5 percent among blacks in April 2010 (see Chart 1). These racial differences, with 

Hispanics having higher unemployment rates than whites, but lower than blacks, are long-standing. For example, in 

the year in which the recession started, 2007, the unemployment rate for Hispanics was 5.6 percent, compared to 4.1 

percent for whites and 8.3 percent for blacks. 

While the unemployment rate 

peaked for Hispanics a year after it peaked among whites, the 

unemployment rate remained 

elevated for all groups from the 

fall of 2009 through much of 

2010. As illustrated in Chart 

1, Hispanics faced an unemployment rate of 13.1 percent 

in October 2009 when the rate 

peaked among whites. The 

gap in the unemployment rates 

of Hispanics and whites was 

largely steady between October 

2009 and November 2010 at 

approximately 3.7 percentage points. Since reaching its 

high point in November 2010, 

the overall Hispanic unemployment rate has fallen by 1.6 

percentage points.

Chart 2 shows annual unemployment averages for Hispanic men, women, and youth (ages 16-19).3

 While the unemployment rate among Hispanic men continues to be slightly higher than that of Hispanic women, the gap is narrower in 2010 compared to 2009. This narrowing occurred as unemployment among adult Hispanic men was little 

changed, while it rose among adult Hispanic women. There are several factors that could have contributed to the 

increase in unemployment among Hispanic women, including their disproportionate participation in industries that 

have continued to experience job losses, such as state and local government. For example, 55.1 percent of Hispanic 

government workers were women in 2010. Moreover, there are industries—like manufacturing—where Hispanic 

women lost jobs in 2010, while Hispanic men gained jobs.

3 Monthly seasonally adjusted data are not available for Hispanic men, women, and youth. As such, annual averages provide a more accurate picture of 

changes in unemployment for these groups over time.

Chart 1: Unemployment Rate for African-American, Hispanics and Whites: Jan 2007-Feb 2011

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 3

As Chart 2 also illustrates, Hispanic youth (ages 16-19) have much 

higher unemployment rates 

than do adults. The unemployment rate for Hispanic youth 

reached a high of 32.2 percent 

in 2010 and as of February 

2011 had fallen to 30.6 percent4

. Not only has the unemployment rate remained high, 

but a large number of Hispanic 

teens are no longer in the labor 

force—either working or looking for work. In 2007, Hispanic 

teens participated in the labor 

force at a rate of 37.1 percent. 

By 2010, that rate had declined 

substantially to 30.9 percent. 

Some of this decline in labor 

force participation among teens 

reflects an increase in the percent of teens in school. Among 16-19 year old Hispanics 74.0 percent were students in 

2010 compared to 69.5 percent in 2007, the year the recession started. 

Falling labor force participation is occurring among all but the oldest Hispanics; however the declines are greatest 

for those who are young. Among those ages 20 to 24, labor force participation fell to 71.1 percent in 2010 from 74.8 

percent in 2007. While this decline is smaller than that experienced by teenagers, there was an even larger increase 

in the proportion of this age group remaining in school—28.1 percent of 20 to 24 year old Hispanics were students in 

2010 compared to 22.1 percent in 2007. Declines in labor force participation were much less for those ages 25 to 54, 

and the rate actually rose for those age 55 and over. Among all Hispanics 67.5 percent were in the labor force in 2010 

compared to 68.8 percent in 2007. 

One factor that may explain why 

Hispanic labor force outcomes 

lag behind those of their white 

counterparts is educational 

attainment. As is true for all 

racial and ethnic groups, the 

link between greater education attainment and improved 

employment outcomes remains 

strong. 

Unemployment rates are lowest 

among those with a bachelor’s 

degree or higher. For instance, 

the 2010 unemployment rate 

among Hispanics with at least 

a bachelor’s degree was 6.0 percent, (compared to 4.3 percent 

for whites). Unemployment 

4 These are not seasonally adjusted rates as unemployment rates by age are not available seasonally adjusted for Hispanics. However comparing February 

2011 to February 2010 also indicates an improvement in the unemployment rate among Hispanic youth

Bachelor’s degree

or higher

6.0%

Less than a

High School diploma

High School 

graduates

Some college or

Associate degree

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Unemployment Rate

13.2%

11.5%

9.7%

Chart 2: Unemployment Rate among Hispanics Adult Men, 

Adult Women, and Youth (Annual data 2007 through 2010)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey

Chart 3: Unemployment Rate for Hispanics, by Educational Attainment, 

2010 Annual Average 

(Persons 25 years and older)
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 4

rates are higher for those with fewer years of schooling. In 2010, 11.5 percent of Hispanics in the labor force with 

only a high school degree were unemployed (compared to 9.5 percent of whites with only a high school degree) and 

13.2 percent of Hispanics in the labor force with less than a high school degree (compared to 13.9 percent among 

whites with less than a high school degree) were unemployed. 

Unemployment varies across the United States and the unemployment rate of Hispanics, like that of other Americans, differs depending on the state in which they live. Hispanics facing the highest unemployment rates are in 

Rhode Island (21.8 percent), Nevada (18.6 percent), Connecticut (17.7 percent), Massachusetts (16.1 percent) and 

Washington (15.8 percent), while those facing the lowest rates are in Vermont (3.8 percent), Virginia (6.9 percent), 

Alaska (6.9 percent), South Dakota (7.2 percent) and Nebraska (7.5 percent).

The supplemental map at the end of this report highlights the states where the largest numbers of unemployed Hispanic workers reside. As one would expect, states with the largest Hispanic populations had very large numbers of 

unemployed Hispanic workers. Overall in 2010, California (945,000), Texas (410,000), Florida (270,000), New York 

(174,000), Arizona (124,000), and Illinois (112,000) had the most unemployed Hispanics. The unemployment rates 

in these states were: California (14.7 percent), Texas (9.4 percent), Florida (13.6 percent), New York (11.8 percent), 

Arizona (13.4 percent) and Illinois (12.7 percent).

EMPLOYMENT DATA

As Chart 4 illustrates, 2010 employment rates for white and Hispanic men and women remain below pre-recession 

levels. Overall, white and Hispanic men are employed at higher rates than are white and Hispanic women; however 

employment rates have fallen much more sharply among men than among women since the 2007 recession began. 

Hispanic employment declined most significantly in construction, manufacturing, financial activities, and in professional and business services during the recession of 2007-2009. Together, these industries accounted for nearly 1.1 

million jobs lost among Hispanic workers. Job losses continued through 2010 in construction and financial services 

industries, while Hispanic employment in professional and business services experienced a strong recovery. 

Hispanics account for almost one in 

every four workers in the construction 

industry. As Table 2 shows, employment in the construction industry is projected by the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics to grow a 

modest 1.7 percent annually by 

2018, with much of this growth 

replacing jobs lost during the 

recession. Jobs in the professional, scientific and technical 

service industry are expected 

to grow the fastest with 2.6 million additional jobs projected 

for 2018 compared to 2008. In 

2010, only 7.1 percent of jobs in 

this industry went to Hispanic 

workers, making them underrepresented in this high-growth 

industry. Hispanics are underrepresented in STEM occupations—accounting for seven percent or less of jobs—in 

math and science related occupations, such as computer and mathematical occupations (5.5 percent), architecture 

and engineering occupations (6.8 percent), and life, physical, and social science occupations (6.0 percent).

Chart 4: Employment Population ratio by sex for Whites and Hispanics, 16 and older 

(Annual data 2007 through 2010)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 5

Table 2: Industries with largest expected employment growth, BLS Employment Projections 2008-2018

Industry Annual average rate of change 

2008-20181

 

Hispanics as a percent of total 

employed by industry in 20102

Professional, scientific, and technical services 3.0% 7.1%

Education services 2.4% 9.5%

Health and social services 2.3% 10.9%

Construction 1.7% 24.4%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Released December 11, 2009

1

Employment Projections presented here are based on Current Employment Statistics data. The projections are found at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/

archives/ecopro_12102009.pdf 

2

These data are from the Current Population Survey.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Overall work-related fatalities declined in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available. According to preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2009 Hispanic workers experienced the highest rate of 

work-related fatal injuries at 3.7 incidents per 100,000 full time equivalent workers, compared to 3.4 for whites and 

3.0 for blacks. Hispanic workers experienced 17 percent fewer work related fatal injuries in 2009 compared to 2008. 

Certain industries, including construction have historically accounted for a significant share of fatal work injuries, 

though reported fatalities in this industry have also significantly declined. The number of fatal injuries in the private 

construction industry fell by 16 percent in 2009, following a similar decline of 19 percent in 2008.

The decline in fatal work injuries among Hispanic workers in 2009 was largest for foreign-born Hispanic workers, 

whose fatal work injury counts decreased by 22 percent. In comparison, the decline among native-born Hispanics 

was 9 percent. Fatal work injuries incurred by workers who were born outside of the United States accounted for 16 

percent of the U.S. total in 2009. Of the foreign-born workers who were fatally-injured in the U.S. in 2009, the largest 

share (40 percent) was Mexican-born.

LOOKING FORWARD

The economic recovery to date has improved employment prospects for all Americans. However, more needs to be 

done to get Hispanics back to work. The Department of Labor is working alongside other agencies in the Obama 

Administration to address the challenging labor market conditions facing Hispanic workers, including: 

➢ Transitioning more Hispanic youth to employment through programs targeting individuals affected by high 

poverty and high unemployment, as well as through programs directed to the youth. Programs such as the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Job Corps and Youth-Build programs provide job training and educational opportunities for low-income or at-risk youth ages 16 to 24. There are 2,366 Hispanics enrolled in YouthBuild and 8,022 

Hispanics enrolled in Job Corps5

, representing more than 18 percent of participants in each program. More than 

58 percent of Hispanic youth separating from Job Corps in program year 2009 received their GED6

 – more than 

two percent higher than the national high school graduation rate.

➢ Providing training opportunities to involve Hispanics in the clean energy economy is important. In 2010, DOL 

awarded the following Recovery Act grants designed to advance training and employment in these industries. 

•	 “Pathways Out of Poverty” grants provided $150 million to support programs that help disadvantaged

populations find ways out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency through employment in energy 

efficiency and renewable energy industries. 

5 Job Corps’ Executive Information System Population Report from March 22, 2011. 

6 Ibid
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 6

•	 “Energy Training Partnership” grants provided $100 million for job training in energy efficiency and clean

energy industries, as authorized by the Recovery Act. The grants support job training programs to help 

dislocated workers and other target populations, including communities of color, find jobs in expanding 

green industries and related occupations. 

➢ Increasing college attendance and graduation rates among Hispanics and encouraging more Hispanics to pursue 

careers in science, engineering and technology. The President’s initiative of “Skills for America’s Future” seeks to:

increase the number of college graduates; increase training in science, technology and engineering, and mathematics; and improve industry partnerships with community colleges or training programs by matching classroom curricula with employer needs. 

➢ In January 2011, the Department of Labor announced the availability of approximately $500 million for the first 

round of Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants. The program will enable eligible institutions of higher education, including but not limited to community colleges, to expand their 

capacity to provide quality education and training services to Trade Adjustment Assistance program participants 

and other individuals. The overarching goals of these grants are to increase attainment of degrees, certificates, 

and other industry-recognized credentials and better prepare workers, for high-wage, high-skill employment.

➢ DOL offers other training and employment programs that provide opportunities for Hispanics. The WagnerPeyser program, for example, provides a full range of employment and training services to jobseekers including career guidance, testing, job development, and job referral. DOL regulations require states to ensure that 

Wagner-Peyser services are offered to migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) on a basis that is equivalent 

and proportional to the services offered to non-MSFWs. Fifteen (15) percent of individuals served by WagnerPeyser are Hispanic. The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), a job training and employment assistance 

program for MSFWs, provides job training services to eligible farmworkers to help them prepare for jobs that 

provide stable, year-round employment and better wages. Fifty-one (51) percent of participants in the NFJP are 

Hispanic.

➢ Among the most vulnerable workers in America are those who work in high-risk industries, particularly construction. Because of language barriers, literacy and other limitations, these workers, many of whom are of Hispanic origin, are often hard to reach through traditional communications methods. The Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration (OSHA) and Wage and Hour Division (WHD), two of DOL’s worker protection agencies, 

are working to address this problem and reduce incidences of workplace injuries and fatalities and violations of 

wage and hour laws. They have increased outreach efforts to enhance workers’ knowledge of their workplace 

rights and improve their ability to exercise their rights, including education about how to file complaints with the 

Department. In addition, OSHA has reminded employers to comply with requirements that they must present information about workers’ rights, safety and health training materials, information and instructions in a 

language that their workers can understand. The Secretary has also reiterated OSHA and WHD’s long-standing 

partnership with the Mexican Consulates by signing a formal declaration with the Mexican Embassy. Most recently, the Secretary signed a declaration with the government of El Salvador to ensure the labor rights of workers from these countries employed in the U.S. are protected. 

➢ The Department’s Wage and Hour Division is enhancing its enforcement of the misclassification of workers 

which may result in the failure of employers to pay appropriate payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, other employment benefits, or proper minimum wage or overtime. As a result of misclassification, employees are denied 

the protections and benefits of this Nation’s most important employment laws—protections to which they are 

legally entitled. Misclassification more frequently occurs in industries that employ a large number of vulnerable 

workers, many of whom are of Hispanic or Latino origin. The President requested funding in FY2012 for DOL 

to lead a multi-agency initiative to strengthen and coordinate Federal and State efforts to enforce statutory protections, and identify and deter employee misclassification. This initiative will help provide employees with their 

rightful pay and benefits. 
THE HISPANIC LABOR FORCE AT A GLANCE • PAGE 7

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics.