Posts Tagged: economy
Millennial Latinos See Better Future, But Also Worry About It
Millennial Latinos who are registered to vote are optimistic about their future earning potential but deeply concerned about their later years and those of their parents, a National Council of La Raza poll has found.
The poll found that 87 percent of millennial Latinos are concerned that Social Security won't exist when they need it. It also found concern from about the same share of Latino millennials over having to help parents with health care and living expenses when they are older.
By contrast, 63 percent of Latinos 36 and older said they are worried about the availability of Social Security and 69 percent about caring for parents.
However, asked about how they'd be doing financially a year from now, 63 percent of millennials thought they'd be better off, while just 36 percent of the 36-and-older group expect financial improvement.
The poll, conducted by Latino Decisions for NCLR, surveyed 1,000 Latino registered voters about economic, health and political issues. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The poll included an oversample of millennial Latino registered voters. In a telephone news conference, Eric Rodriguez, an NCLR vice president, said the poll was intended to get more detailed views of Latinos on various issues of the election campaign.
"In spite a lot of the attention around the Latino vote (this election), we haven't seen an intentional or deep engagement with our community, particularly around issues," Rodriguez said.
"No one is really talking to our community and asking what's top of our mind … and what Latino voters are thinking at the dinner tables. What keep us up at night. What are our aspirations and what our thoughts about the future and those that we love.”
Studies have shown that once registered, Latinos have high voting rates. About 85 percent of millennial Latino voters said they definitely would vote, compared to 90 percent of Latino voters 36 and older.
Latinos are younger than the national population as a whole and about 44 percent of Latino eligible voters are millennials. The turnout rates for young Latinos overall, those registered and not registered, lag behind the turnout rates for black and white young voters.
Election preferences of the two groups were about the same, with 66 percent of millennial Latinos saying they'd vote for Clinton and 19 percent for Trump.
Seventy-three percent of Latinos 36 and older said they would vote for Clinton and 16 were voting for Trump.
However, 9 percent of millennials said they'd vote for a third party candidate, compared to 2 percent of 36 and older Latinos.
When asked to list the top economic issue the new Congress and president should address, both groups listed first the need to create more and better paying jobs.
But the second and third most mentioned issues for millennials were college affordability and student loan debt as well as an improvement of wages or raising the minimum wage, in that order.
For Latinos 36 and older, immigration reform was the second most mentioned issue, showing how that group sees a link between immigration and the economy. Third on the list was keeping the Social Security program strong.
"When people say that the economy is a priority issue, they do have very particular things that they're talking about," said Sylvia Manzano, a principal with Latino Decisions.
Manzano said despite portrayals of millennials as pessimistic, the poll showed that generally, that description doesn't apply to Latino millennials.
"There's not a lot of pessimism among any age group — but the degree to which the younger cohort thinks things will be better is quite dramatic," she said.
Source: Published originally on nbcnews.com Poll: Millennial Latinos See Better Future, But Also Worry About It, by Suzanne Gamboa, October 27, 2016.
US Latinos believe education is one of the nation's most important issues: Report
A sizable chunk of U.S. Latinos believe education is one of the nation's most important issues. A recent survey of the Latino community offers clear opinions on standardized testing, charter schools, school vouchers, education spending, federal government performance, and the direction of K-12 education.
Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice published a report in Sept., which provided insights into Latinos' thoughts on education. "Latino Perspectives on K-12 Education & School Choice" revealed a number of important discoveries, including one-in-five Latinos (22 percent) naming education as the nation's second most important issue, preceded only by the economy and jobs (27 percent). Also, education was named over immigration (13 percent).
Latinos would like to send their children to charter schools and private schools, yet many are unable, whether it's due to cost or distance. The snapshot of the Latino community revealed Latinos' overwhelming support of education saving accounts (ESAs), tax-credit scholarships and school vouchers, which is far more than the general market. According to the report, southern Latinos were more likely to be concerned about education, compared to Latinos living in the west (27 percent compared to 16 percent). Also, young (30 percent) and middle-age Latino respondents (17 percent) were more likely to be concerned about education than seniors (10 percent).
U.S. Latinos also have firm opinions when it comes to K-12 education. Approximately 53 percent of Latinos stated K-12 education was on the "wrong track," while just 38 percent indicated that it was headed in the "right direction." However, Latinos were more likely than the general market to say K-12 education was "going in the right direction" (38 percent compared to 32 percent). Overall, roughly 60 percent of the nation indicated K-12 education was on the "wrong track," compared to just 53 percent of Latino respondents.
The numbers showed that middle-age Latino respondents (45 percent) and low-income (47 percent) were more positive than younger Latinos (31 percent) and middle-income (32 percent) and high-income Latinos (26 percent) about the direction of K-12 education. The report also showed that Latinos are weary about federal involvement in K-12 education, and 73 percent have a dim view of the federal government's performance in K-12 education.
With regards to education spending, fewer than 14 percent of Latino respondents could estimate the correct per-student spending range for the national average, suggesting that Latinos need to learn more about current expenditures. Also, the survey's results show that Latinos are less likely to say public school spending is "too low."
Latino respondents were far more likely to give private schools in their communities high marks (82 percent), compared to their local public schools (50 percent). Nearly half of Latinos selected private schools as the ideal educational option for their child (46 percent), while just 32 percent of respondents chose regular public school. Just 12 percent selected charter schools and 9 percent chose homeschooling as their top choice. However, enrollment patterns in the U.S. don't match expectations. Only 3.5 percent of students enrolled in private schools are Latino, and just 4.5 percent of student in public charter schools. Researchers were unable to find reliable data regarding how many Latino students are homeschooled. Around 92 percent of Latino K-12 students attend public schools.
While 62 percent of Latinos support charter schools, 26 percent of Latino survey participants said they opposed charter schools. Nonetheless, Latinos were more likely to support charter schools than the national average. However, 53 percent of Latino respondents were against state government interventing to convert "low-performing" schools to charters schools. Instead, they believe vouchers and scholarships would be valuable contributions to affected schools and families.
More than 70 percent of Latinos favor school vouchers, and were more likely than other respondents to express an "intensely favorable view toward vouchers." Likewise, 73 percent of Latinos supported an "education savings account" system (ESA), and they were significantly more supportive of ESAs than non-Hispanic whites (57 percent). Additionally, Latino respondents were nearly five times as likely to support a tax-credit scholarship program. Moreover, Latino respondents (56 percent) voiced support of the Common Core State Standards (Common Core).
The report suggests that a candidate is more likely to win the Latino vote if they have affirming positions on school vouchers, ESAs and Common Core.
Source: Published originally on latinpost.com as US Latinos believe education is one of the nation's most important issues: Report, by Nicole Akoukou Thompson, November 10, 2015.
Immigration is not the top issue for Hispanics
A broad overhaul of the nation's immigration laws has been debated and discussed among policy makers for a dozen years, but Congress has yet to pass a bill. Last month, several Hispanic advocacy leaders criticized the president for policies that have contributed to the more than three million immigrants deported since 2004. Yet now, some Latino leaders are wondering if immigration reform is perhaps “crowding out other issues facing the Latino community.”
Immigration reform “now occupies almost all the Latino policy agenda, sucking up, as one colleague recently put it, all the oxygen on Latino issues,” according to a recent commentary from Angelo Falcón, National Institute for Latino Policy president.
Indeed, when Pew Research Center has surveyed the Hispanic community, there are several issues that consistently rank higher on the list than immigration. In 2013, some 57% of Hispanic registered voters called education an “extremely important” issue facing the nation today. That's compared with jobs and the economy (52%) and health care (43%). Just 32% said immigration.
Since 2007, about one-third of Hispanic registered voters have called immigration an “extremely important” issue to them personally. Even among Hispanic immigrants, the share was 35% in 2012.
While about seven-in-ten of all Latinos in 2013 said it was important for Congress to pass significant new immigration legislation that year, the share who said so was higher among immigrants (80%) than among the U.S. born (57%). Among the general public, 49% of U.S. adults said so when asked the same question in February.
In some respects, Hispanics' focus on education as a top issue makes sense. In 2010, Hispanics had the highest birth rates—80 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age, compared with 64 for blacks, 59 for whites and 56 for Asians. Fully one-in-three (33%) Hispanics are school age (under 18), compared with one-in-five (20%) whites.
The economy has been another top issue among Hispanics, who said the recession hit them harder than other groups. Among Hispanics in 2012, the economy and jobs (54%) ranked about as high as education (55%) as an issue “extremely important” to them personally. The unemployment rate among Hispanics peaked at 12.3% in 2010, compared with 8.9% among non-Hispanics. The unemployment rate for Hispanics has steadily fallen since then (8.9% in 2013), but remains above pre-recession levels (4.9% in 2006).
Source: Pew Research Center, Top issue for Hispanics? Hint: It's not immigration,by Jens Manuel Krogstad, June 2, 2014.
How the Economy Is Shaping Hispanic Young Adults' Lives.
Today, the state of the economy is shaping Hispanic young adults' lives more than anything else. Just as they were entering or approaching adulthood, the global economy went sour, forcing them to behave differently than people of earlier generations as they started their adult lives. College was supposed to lead to dream jobs - but for many, work of any kind can be hard to come by. As we noted in last week's blog, young Latinos have had it particularly hard: Hispanics 18 to 34 are 25% more likely to be unemployed than non-Hispanic whites, and one in seven Hispanics 18 to 24 is looking for a job but can't find one.
Finding out how the poor economy has affected young Hispanics -- and how their choices differ from earlier generations of Hispanics and non-Hispanic young adults as a result -- was one of the goals of Tr3s's research study, “Hispanic 18-34s Living the 'Next Normal.”
The following are a few insights relating to young Hispanics and the economy:
- Young Hispanics are more risk-averse. Life choices, big and small, are subject to conscious and sub-conscious risk evaluation. They are carefully weighing the cost and benefits of everything from their living situations, marriage, and purchasing decisions of everyday and big-ticket items.
- More are living with their parents - but not unhappily. Today, 45 percent of Hispanics 18 to 34 are still at Mom and Dad's house - and many find happiness in the comfort and support of family relationships. Living at home well into their twenties and thirties is also causing them to reinterpret the meaning of “adulthood.”
- Marriage can wait until they have more financial stability. Since marriage is a big risk both economically and emotionally, Hispanic young adults are not entering it lightly. Having enough money and meeting career goals first are important.
- When shopping, they search long and hard for deals. Hispanic young adults are smart “recessionistas,” finding excitement in using high-tech resources to get the best prices. They're not sacrificing good looks for practicality, however - they want style and a good price (especially Latinas, who are bigger “fashionistas” than non-Hispanic females). And as we reported last week, saving money is cool and ostentatious purchases are not -- bling is for Xers and Boomers.
Source: Published originally on HispanicAd.com as How the Economy Is Shaping Hispanic Young Adults' Lives, April 17, 2013.
Green energy gives growing opportunities to Latinos
Latinos are contributing to the country’s rapidly growing “green” economies, according to a report published by the National Council of La Raza.
These green economies, according to the United Nations Environment Program, are driven by growth in income and employment “by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency.”
The report by the NCLR focuses on five metro areas in particular –including Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana- that are seeing tremendous growth and prosperity in Latinos working “green-collar jobs.”
Shamar A. Bibbins, a senior political associate at Green for All, a leading advocate for clean-energy economies, said that there are 3.1 million workers in the country’s green economy.
The report by the NCLR focused on the connection between this emerging market and Latinos, the country’s fastest growing segment of American workers.
Statistics shows that the Latinos will make up 18 percent of the U.S. workforce by 2018 and 33 percent by 2050.
As the NCLR points out, “It is in the interest of the country to align the fastest growing workforce with the fastest growing industries.”
Susanna Sutherland, director of Sustainability in the city of Knoxville, Tenn., one of the five towns profiled because of its growing Latino population and green initiatives, talked about the city’s efforts to reach out to the Latinos looking to break into this industry.
“Knoxville has been taking a collaborative approach to reaching out to Latinos and green jobs in the community,” said Sutherland.
The hope is that as more communities embrace the idea of green economies, more information and opportunities will be available to Latinos.
Polling done last year in conjunction with the NCLR and the Sierra Club shows 87 percent of Latinos would prefer to work in a clean energy environment.
Green jobs tend to pay 13 percent more than other industries and, because they do not require higher degrees, are widely accessible to Latinos.
Source: Originally published in Fox News Latino as Green Energy Gives Growing Opportunities to Latinos, Report Says by Kacy Capobres, February 06, 2013.