Hispanics Say They Have the Worst of a Bad Economy
A majority of Latinos believe that the economic downturn that began in 2007 has been harder on them than on any other ethnic group in America.
Economics and Personal Finance 
Several measures offer insights into Latinos’ economic well-being and the ways in which it has changed over time and how it varies among Latino sub-groups. The Center’s research documents trends in income, poverty, homeownership and wealth with an emphasis on the impact of business cycles. Our reports on remittances explore the massive flow of dollars that links Hispanic immigrants with their families back home.
Also see our statistical portraits, state and county databases, demographic profiles and Census 2010 tables for data on the characteristics of the Latino and foreign-born populations in the United States.
01.26.12
11.08.11
Hispanic Poverty Rate Highest In New Supplemental Census Measure
The poverty rate for Hispanics was 28.2% in 2010, higher than it was for blacks, non-Hispanic whites or Asians, and higher than the official poverty rate for Hispanics, 26.7%, reported by the Census Bureau.
09.28.11
Childhood Poverty Among Hispanics Sets Record, Leads Nation
The spread of poverty across the United States that began at the onset of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and accelerated last year hit one fast-growing demographic group especially hard: Latino children.
07.26.11
Hispanic Household Wealth Fell by 66% from 2005 to 2009
Median household wealth among Hispanics fell from $18,359 in 2005 to $6,235 in 2009—a 66% decline. This was larger than the decrease for black households (53%) and white households (16%), according to an analysis of newly-available Census Bureau data by the Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project.
10.29.10
After the Great Recession: Foreign Born Gain Jobs; Native Born Lose Jobs
In the year following the end of the Great Recession in June 2009, foreign-born workers gained 656,000 jobs while native-born workers lost 1.2 million. As a result, the unemployment rate fell for immigrants while it rose for the native born.
12.11.09
Between Two Worlds: How Young Latinos Come of Age in America
A Pew Hispanic Center report based on a new nationwide survey of Latino youths and on analyses of government data examines the values, attitudes, experiences and self-identity of this generation as it comes of age in America.
05.12.09
Minorities, Immigrants and Homeownership
The boom-and-bust cycle in the U.S. housing market over the past decade and a half has generated greater gains and larger losses for minority groups than it has for whites, according to an analysis of housing, economic and demographic data.
01.08.09
Hispanics and the Economic Downturn: Housing Woes and Remittance Cuts
Almost one-in-ten (9%) Latino homeowners say they missed a mortgage payment or were unable to make a full payment and 3% say they received a foreclosure notice in the past year.
12.15.08
Latino Workers in the Ongoing Recession: 2007 to 2008
A small but significant decline has occurred during the current recession in the share of Latino immigrants active in the U.S. labor force.
10.02.08
Sharp Decline in Income for Non-Citizen Immigrant Households, 2006-2007
The current economic slowdown has taken a far greater toll on non-citizen immigrants than it has on the United States population as a whole.
06.04.08
Latino Labor Report, 2008: Construction Reverses Job Growth for Latinos
Due mainly to a slump in the construction industry, the unemployment rate for Hispanics in the U.S. rose to 6.5% in the first quarter of 2008, well above the 4.7% rate for all non-Hispanics.
12.13.07
2007 National Survey of Latinos: As Illegal Immigration Issue Heats Up, Hispanics Feel a Chill
Hispanics in the United States are feeling a range of negative effects from the increased public attention and stepped-up enforcement measures that have accompanied the growing national debate over illegal immigration.
10.25.07
Between Here and There: How Attached Are Latino Immigrants to Their Native Country?
Most Latino immigrants maintain some kind of connection to their native country by sending remittances, traveling back or telephoning relatives, but the extent to which they engage in these transnational activities varies considerably.
08.21.07
1995-2005: Foreign-Born Latinos Make Progress on Wages
Foreign-born Latinos, especially the newly arrived, were much less likely to be low-wage earners in 2005 than in 1995.
09.27.06
Latino Labor Report 2006: Strong Gains in Employment
The Hispanic unemployment rate reached a historic low in the second quarter of 2006.
12.15.05
The Occupational Status and Mobility of Hispanics
Hispanics and whites perform different types of work in the labor market. Moreover, the occupational divide between the two largest segments of the labor force appears to be widening.
12.06.05
Survey of Mexican Migrants, Part Three
The vast majority of undocumented migrants from Mexico were gainfully employed before they left for the United States. Thus, failure to find work at home does not seem to be the primary reason that the estimated 6.3 million undocumented migrants from Mexico have come to the U.S.
07.26.05
The New Latino South: The Context and Consequences of Rapid Population Growth
The Hispanic population is growing faster in much of the South than anywhere else in the United States.
05.02.05
Latino Labor Report, 2004
Hispanic workers enjoyed significant gains in employment in 2004. But the concentration of Latinos in relatively low-skill occupations contributed to reduced earnings for them for the second year in a row.
03.16.05
Hispanics and the Social Security Debate
Latinos have distinct demographic and economic characteristics that give them a unique stake in the debate over the future of Social Security.
01.24.05
Hispanics: A People in Motion
The places Latinos live, the jobs they hold, the schooling they complete, the languages they speak, even their attitudes on key political and social issues, are all in flux.
10.18.04
The Wealth of Hispanic Households
According to the study, the median net worth of Hispanic households in 2002 was $7,932. This was only nine percent of $88,651, the median wealth of non-Hispanic White households at the same time. The net worth of Non-Hispanic Blacks was only $5,988. Thus, the wealth of Latino and Black households is less than one-tenth the wealth of White households even though Census data show their income is two-thirds as much.
06.16.04
Latino Labor Report, First Quarter 2004
The “jobless recovery” may have turned around, but gains for Latinos have not been widespread. Immigrant Latinos, especially the most recent arrivals, have captured the most jobs.
06.07.04
The Remittance Marketplace: Prices, Policy and Financial Institutions
Although the cost of sending remittances is now much lower than in the late 1990s, the rate of decline has slowed markedly in the past three years.
02.23.04
Latino Labor Report, 2003
Latinos experienced substantial gains in the U.S. labor market in 2003. The number of Hispanics added to the employment rolls was twice as high as in 2002, and unemployment eased downward. For the first time since January 2000, Latinos experienced increases in employment that consistently outpaced their population growth in the United States.
01.08.04
Latino Attitudes On The War In Iraq, The Economy And The 2004 Election
Latino support for the war in Iraq and for President George W. Bush has surged since the capture of Saddam Hussein, but Latinos remain concerned about the condition of the U.S. economy and the long-term consequences of the war. In order to probe Latino views of the war, the economy, and the upcoming presidential race, the Pew Hispanic Center (PHC) conducted two national surveys of Latino adults. One took place in December 2003, just before Hussein’s capture, and the other in early January 2004
11.24.03
Remittance Senders And Receivers
Across the United States some six million immigrants from Latin America now send money to their families back home on a regular basis. The number of senders and the sums they dispatched grew even when the U.S. economy slowed, and looking to the future, the growth seems likely to continue and potentially to accelerate. The total remittance flow from the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean could come close to $30 billion this year, making it by far the largest single remittance channel in the world.
12.17.02
2002 National Survey of Latinos
This survey was designed to explore the attitudes and experiences of Latinos on a wide variety of topics.
12.17.02
Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation 2002 National Survey Of Latinos
The Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation 2002 National Survey of Latinos comprehensively explores the attitudes and experiences of Hispanics on a wide variety of topics. This survey was designed to capture the diversity of the Latino population by including almost 3,000 Hispanics from various backgrounds and groups so that in addition to describing Latinos overall, comparisons can be made among key Hispanic subgroups as well.
11.22.02
Billions In Motion
Central banks across the region are tracking remittance income more carefully which has somewhat boosted the numbers they report. Nonetheless, there seems little doubt that the remittance flow has continued to increase over the past two years even as the U.S. economy dropped from its boom time peaks. In 2000 remittances to Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua–nations that receive almost all their money transfers from the United States–totaled some $10.2 billion. This year that figure could reach $14.2 billion or more, a flow of $39 million a day. By 2005 the sum, which does not capture all remittances to Latin America, will go beyond $18 billion, according to projections by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Highlights