The labor force in 2014: race and Hispanic origin

During the 2004-14 period, the U.S. labor force will become yet more diverse.

[Chart data—TXT]

With immigration being the main driver of population growth, and with the high labor force participation rates of the Hispanic and Asian groups, the share of minorities in the workforce will expand more than ever.

The Hispanic labor force is projected to grow by 2.9 percent annually over the 2004-14 period and reach 25.8 million. Hispanics will constitute nearly 16.0 percent of the labor force in 2014.

The Asian labor force is expected to grow at a comparable 2.8 percent, reaching more than 8.0 million in 2014 (about 5 percent of the total labor force).

The black labor force is projected to have an annual growth rate of 1.6 percent from 2004 to 2014 and reach 19.4 million in the latter year (12.0 percent of the total labor force).

These projections are products of the Economic and Employment Projections program. More detailed information on the 2004-14 projections appears in five articles in the November 2005 issue of the Monthly Labor Review.