Monday Open Line


As National Hispanic Heritage Month continues, and another fiscal year draws to a close, much attention is focused on the country’s economic performance. The 54 million strong Hispanic community in the United States inhabits a formidable and expanding place in the nation’s economy. Over 19 percent of Hispanics over the age of 16 work in management, business, science, and arts occupations. When tabulated recently, there were 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S., an increase of almost 46 percent from five years earlier. A greater surge is seen in revenues from Hispanic-owned businesses. Receipts totaled over $350 billion, up more than 58 percent from the previous survey. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the ‘America’s Economy’ mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.