By the Numbers: Hispanic Women in the Workforce

Each year, the United States recognizes Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month. In recognition of Hispanic women’s significant contributions to the labor force, here are six statistics demonstrating their growing influence as drivers of economic productivity and entrepreneurs.  

Strong labor force participation

• In 2016, there were 11.4 million Hispanic women in the civilian labor force. That’s 1 in 7 women, and 7.2 percent of the total labor force.
• By 2024, Hispanic women’s participation is projected to increase to almost 14 million, or 8.5 percent of the total labor force.
• Nearly 1 out of 3 Hispanic women were employed in service occupations in 2016, but managerial and professional occupations have had the largest increase in Hispanic women’s representation since 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

A spirit of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship among Hispanic women also has grown. In 2012, the most recent year for which data is available:

• About 1 out of every 7 women-owned businesses was owned by a Hispanic woman.
• Forty-four percent of all Hispanic owned businesses were owned by women, up from 34 percent in 2002.
• In 2012, Hispanic women-owned businesses generated $78.7 billion in sales and employed over 470,000 people.

This National Hispanic Heritage Month, join us at the Women’s Bureau in celebrating Hispanic women’s vital contributions to the nation’s continued innovation and economic productivity. Find more resources and statistics on Hispanic women on the Women’s Bureau website.

Tracie Sanchez is a program analyst.

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Graphic 1: Hispanic women make an important and growing contribution to the U.S. workforce. The background is of women workers representing different occupations. A bar chart shows Hispanic women's representation in the workforce over time: 3.6% in 1994, 5.2% in 2004, 6.9% in 2014, and projected 8.5% in 2024.

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Graphic 2: A bar chart compares labor force participation rates in 2016 with projected rates in 2024 for different demographics as follows. 76% percent of Hispanic men were in the labor force in 2016 and 74.3% are projected to be in the labor force in 2024. 67.8% of non-Hispanic men were in the labor force in 2016 and 64.3% percent are projected to be in the labor force in 2024. 57.0% of non-Hispanic women were in the labor force in 2016 and 55.5% percent are projected to be in the labor force in 2024. All of those groups are projected to decline. However, Hispanic women's participation is projected to increase from 55.8% in 2016 to 57.4% in 2024 - the only demographic expected to increase.