Here are some facts about the older Hispanic population from the Urban Institute’s report “50+ Hispanic Workers: A Growing Segment of the U.S. Workforce” by Richard W. Johnson and Maurcio Soto:
There were 5.6 million Latinos ages 50 to 69Â living in the U.S. in 2007.
Between 1980 and 2007, Latinos’ share of the national population grew from about seven percent to 15 percent.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the number of Latinos will nearly triple again between 2007 and 2050, reaching 133 million.
The number of Hispanics age 50 to 69 is expected to nearly quadruple by 2050, reaching 22.2 million.
In 2007, 41 percent of Hispanics ages 50 to 69 lacked a high school diploma. Foreign-born Latinos have less education than those born in the U.S.
In 2007, 55 percent of foreign-born Hispanics did not speak English well.
Education levels are much higher for young Hispanics than their older counterparts.
Those born outside the U.S. will make up a smaller share of the older Hispanic population in the future, raising Latinos’ average educational and English proficiency levels.
Projections indicate that only about 24 percent of of older Hispanics will lack a high school diploma in 2050.
In 2006-2008, only 15 percent of Hispanics ages 50 to 69 reported work disabilities, compared with 24 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 14 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
At age 65, Hispanics can expect to live three years longer than non-Hispanic whites.
About 3.2 million Hispanics ages 50 to 69 were employed in 2007.
In 2007, 71 percent of Hispanic men ages 50 to 69 participated in the labor force.
In 2007, median annual earnings for Hispanic men ages 50 to 69 employed full-time as wage and salary workers totaled about $30,400, compared with $50,600 for non-Hispanic whites and $36,400 for non-Hispanic blacks.
Median 2007 earnings for Hispanic women ages 50 to 69 were $24,300, compared with $36,400 for non-Hispanic whites and $31,400 for non-Hispanic blacks.
About 49 percent of employed Hispanic wage and salary workers ages 50 to 69 received health benefits from their employers in 2006-2008, compared with 62 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 65 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
Among employed wage and salary workers ages 50 to 69 in 2006-2008, less than 38 percent of Hispanics were offered employer-sponsored retirement plans, compared with 55 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 62 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
Older Hispanic workers are particularly vulnerable to layoffs. While 32 percent of Hispanics separated from a job between 1992 and 2006 after age age 51 were laid off, only 19 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 24 percent of non-Hispanic whites were laid off.