Latino Communities and the Economy

Representing 31% of the Twelfth District population, Latinos are a vital part of our District’s economy–and the U.S. economy at large. The economic contributions of Latino communities to our country are enormous, wide-ranging, and rapidly growing.

At the San Francisco Fed, we study and share what we’ve learned about the economic impact of Latino communities as part of our commitment to ensuring that all people can fully participate in the economy. Learn more about our work on economic inclusion.

Recent Publications

• Beyond the Numbers: Insights from Latina Business Leaders in Southern California
  Representing 31% of the Twelfth District population, Latinos are a vital part of our District’s economy. In two recent roundtables, Latina business owners across a wide range of sectors shared how they’re experiencing current economic conditions in Southern California.
• Beyond the Numbers: Listening to Higher Education Leaders about Post-Pandemic Challenges
  The pandemic severely disrupted universities and community colleges. In a recent roundtable with President Mary Daly, Twelfth District higher education leaders discussed the significant challenges they continue to grapple with.
• SF Fed Invests in the Future Through New Early Career Program
  Hiring early career talent is one way the SF Fed is keeping up with the times as more workers near retirement age in the U.S. Our recent UC Merced graduates share their stories, early impressions of the Bank’s partnership with their University, and what growths they hope for as they continue in their careers at the SF Fed.
• How Do Homeowner Experiences Vary by Race and Ethnicity? Neighborhood Differences between Hispanic and White Homebuyers
  Rocio Sanchez-Moyano, senior researcher in Community Development, shares findings of significant differences between Hispanic and white homebuyers—even when they had similar financial and demographic profiles and were buying homes of the same value within the same metros.
• The Economic Gains from Equity
  Inequities that limit the full potential of people of color bear real economic costs for every American. Eliminating labor market disparities by race and ethnicity—which are particularly large between white individuals and their Hispanic counterparts— would result in an aggregate gain to U.S. GDP of $2.6 trillion in 2019.
• How Are Racial and Gender Gaps Limiting the Full Potential of Your State’s Economy?
  Imagine if racial and gender gaps did not exist in your state. What would be gained? We invite you to explore this question in a new interactive data simulation by Fed Communities, a project that amplifies the Fed’s work in low- and moderate-income communities and other underserved areas across the U.S.

Our People are #unreserved

“My culture has shaped the person I am today, and I’m proud of where my family comes from.” — Angel Medrano

Read about Angel Medrano’s parents and their influence on Angel’s career path.

“Coming to understand [my dad’s] life—the struggles, the inequality, and the determination for a better future—has shaped my story of what it means to be Mexican American.”

Vivienne Ayala shares some of her lessons learned growing up as a mixed race Mexican American in the U.S.

Other Resources

Federal Reserve Bank Research

• Hispanics and Their Contribution to America’s Human Capital, St. Louis Fed, 2018, St. Louis Fed
• Econ Lowdown (in Spanish and English), St. Louis Fed

External Resources

• Latino GDP, California Lutheran University’s Center for Economic Research & Forecasting, UCLA Health’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture
• 2022 State of Latino Entrepreneurship, Stanford Business School, Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
• Economic State of the Latino Community in America, Joint Economic Committee, US Senate