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Americans celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. The month honors the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the history and culture of the United States. In 2016, there were 26.8 million Hispanics or Latinos in the U.S. labor force, nearly triple the 9.0 million in 1988. Hispanics or Latinos composed 16.8 percent of the labor force in 2016, up from 7.4 percent in 1988.
Hispanics or Latinos include people from many ethnic groups and cultures. The largest is Mexican Americans, who accounted for 61 percent of the Hispanic or Latino labor force in 2016, around the same share as in 1988. Cubans are the smallest group, accounting for about 4 percent of the Hispanic or Latino labor force in 2016, a slightly smaller share than in 1988.
Year | Total Hispanic or Latino | Mexican | Puerto Rican | Cuban | Other Hispanic or Latino |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 |
8,982,000 | 5,572,000 | 883,000 | 565,000 | 1,962,000 |
1989 |
9,323,000 | 5,740,000 | 889,000 | 562,000 | 2,132,000 |
1990 |
10,720,000 | 6,707,000 | 960,000 | 603,000 | 2,450,000 |
1991 |
10,920,000 | 6,712,000 | 1,041,000 | 593,000 | 2,574,000 |
1992 |
11,338,000 | 7,091,000 | 1,048,000 | 577,000 | 2,622,000 |
1993 |
11,610,000 | 7,281,000 | 1,073,000 | 604,000 | 2,652,000 |
1994 |
11,975,000 | 7,567,000 | 1,026,000 | 604,000 | 2,778,000 |
1995 |
12,267,000 | 7,765,000 | 1,098,000 | 613,000 | 2,791,000 |
1996 |
12,774,000 | 7,943,000 | 1,170,000 | 637,000 | 3,024,000 |
1997 |
13,796,000 | 8,546,000 | 1,293,000 | 646,000 | 3,311,000 |
1998 |
14,317,000 | 9,096,000 | 1,249,000 | 651,000 | 3,321,000 |
1999 |
14,665,000 | 9,267,000 | 1,269,000 | 714,000 | 3,415,000 |
2000 |
16,689,000 | 10,783,000 | 1,411,000 | 740,000 | 3,755,000 |
2001 |
17,328,000 | 11,218,000 | 1,454,000 | 671,000 | 3,985,000 |
2002 |
17,943,000 | 11,542,000 | 1,546,000 | 635,000 | 4,220,000 |
2003 |
18,813,000 | 12,081,000 | 1,649,000 | 679,000 | 4,404,000 |
2004 |
19,272,000 | 12,340,000 | 1,610,000 | 769,000 | 4,553,000 |
2005 |
19,824,000 | 12,671,000 | 1,619,000 | 755,000 | 4,779,000 |
2006 |
20,694,000 | 13,158,000 | 1,599,000 | 807,000 | 5,130,000 |
2007 |
21,602,000 | 13,672,000 | 1,684,000 | 898,000 | 5,348,000 |
2008 |
22,024,000 | 14,009,000 | 1,822,000 | 897,000 | 5,296,000 |
2009 |
22,352,000 | 14,210,000 | 1,850,000 | 877,000 | 5,415,000 |
2010 |
22,748,000 | 14,403,000 | 1,906,000 | 970,000 | 5,469,000 |
2011 |
22,898,000 | 14,360,000 | 1,893,000 | 976,000 | 5,669,000 |
2012 |
24,391,000 | 15,128,000 | 2,090,000 | 1,102,000 | 6,071,000 |
2013 |
24,771,000 | 15,366,000 | 2,066,000 | 1,043,000 | 6,296,000 |
2014 |
25,370,000 | 15,768,000 | 2,114,000 | 1,009,000 | 6,479,000 |
2015 |
26,126,000 | 16,392,000 | 2,220,000 | 1,079,000 | 6,435,000 |
2016 |
26,797,000 | 16,458,000 | 2,305,000 | 1,149,000 | 6,885,000 |
Puerto Ricans accounted for about 9 percent of the Hispanic or Latino labor force in 2016, around the same share that existed throughout the 1988–2016 period. Other Hispanics or Latinos—whose family origins are in Central or South America and other locations besides Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba—accounted for 26 percent of the Hispanic or Latino labor force in 2016, up from 22 percent in 1988.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see our page on Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity. In this analysis, Puerto Ricans include labor force participants living in the 50 states or the District of Columbia, but not those living in Puerto Rico.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 26.8 million Hispanics or Latinos in the U.S. labor force in 2016 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/26-point-8-million-hispanics-or-latinos-in-the-u-s-labor-force-in-2016.htm (visited November 14, 2024).