Report Roundup: Moving Up the Economic Ladder: Latino Workers and the Nation’s Future Prosperity

This report presents the findings of a two-year study on Latino employment issues, released in July by the NCLR as part of its State of Hispanic America series. The findings link the future of the nation’s economic progress with the well-being of Latino workers. The report assesses the current status of Latinos in the labor force and addresses factors influencing their position in the economy. It offers direction for future research and policy to improve employment prospects and the socioeconomic status of Latinos.

Each of the eight chapters, written by members of NCLR and its academic advisory committee as well as other academics, analyzes characteristics of Hispanic workers and issues relevant to Latino employment, such as poverty and education. The report’s statistical comparisons between Hispanics and other ethnic groups highlight disparities in education, job skills, wages and job quality. Among the findings: Wages of Hispanics were lower in 1996 than in 1990; Hispanic men have the highest labor force participation rate of any group in the economy, yet they are significantly less likely than black or white men to receive benefits; and the employment of Latinos is tied to the economy of urban areas, as Latinos have an urbanization rate of 90 percent compared to 76 percent for the nation as a whole.

The NCLR is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., seeking to create opportunities for and address problems of discrimination against Hispanics. 272 pages. $30. The National Council of La Raza Distribution Center, P.O. Box 291, Annapolis Junction, MD, 20701. (301) 604-7983. www.nclr.org.

Dennigan, Kyla, Francine Greenberg, and Vanessa St. Gerard. "Moving Up the Economic Ladder: Latino Workers and the Nation’s Future Prosperity." Report Roundup. Youth Today, September 2000, p. 52.

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