Quick Takes

Published: May 2011

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Population

The population of people of color* in the United States is on the rise. People of color will comprise approximately 52.3% of the population in the U.S. by 2050.¹

According to briefs from the 2010 Census:²

• More than half of the growth in the total population of the United States between 2000 and 2010 was due to the increase in the Hispanic population.
• The Asian population grew faster than any other major race group between 2000 and 2010.
• The populations of California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and New Mexico are "majority-minority," meaning over 50% of the population was a minority.

Labor Force

• 18.6% of the total labor force is people of color. ⁴

People of Color in Management

• In 2010, 87.8% of people of color worked in management, professional and related occupations. 18.9% of Latinos, 21.9% of African-American’s, and 47% of Asians worked in management, professional and related occupations. ⁶

Note: Latinos/Latinas/Hispanics may be of any race.

• According to the EEOC, in 2009 people of color were 11.4% of Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers and 19.8% of all First/Mid-Level Officials and Managers.⁹

Income

• 6.6% of white people (white alone, not Hispanic), have income of $100,000 and over.¹¹
• 3.1% of people of color have income of 100,000 and over.¹²

Notes:

* People of color include (but are not limited to) African-Americans/Black people, Asian-Americans/Asians, Latinos/Hispanics, and Native Americans.

^Non-resident aliens are not included in the calculation for people of color.

†Data is based on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census. Comparable data is not available for all groups.

‡ For more in-depth statistics on specific demographic groups, please see the following Catalyst Quick Takes: African-Americans, African American Women, Latinas, Latinas/Latinos, Asians, Asian Women, and Native-American Women.

SOURCES

¹U.S. Census Bureau, "Table 1a: Projected Population of the United States, by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000 to 2050" (March 18, 2004).

² Karen R. Humes, Nicholas A. Jones, and Roberto R. Ramirez, "Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010," 2010 Census Briefs (March 2011).

³ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 297: Bachelor's Degrees Conferred By Degree-Granting Institutions, By Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Field Of Study: 2008-09," "Table 300. Master's Degrees Conferred By Degree-Granting Institutions, By Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Field Of Study: 2008-09," Table 303. Doctor's Degrees Conferred By Degree-Granting Institutions, By Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Field Of Study: 2008-09," Digest of Education Statistics (2010).

⁴ Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, "Table 3.4: Civilian Labor Force by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 1988, 1998, 2008, and Projected 2018" (2009).

⁵ Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 3: Employment Status of The Civilian Noninstitutional Population by Age, Sex, and Race" (2011). Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 4: Employment Status of the Hispanic or Latino Population by Age and Sex" (2011).

⁶ Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 10: Employed Persons by Occupation, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity and Sex, 2010 total," (2011). http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat10.pdf; Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employed And Experienced Unemployed Persons By Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, Annual Averages 2010," Unpublished Tabulations (2011).

⁷ Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 11: Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2010," Annual Averages 2010 (2011). Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employed And Experienced Unemployed Persons By Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, Annual Averages 2010," Unpublished Tabulations (2011).

⁸ Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 11: Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2008" (2009).

⁹ U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "2009 Job Patterns For Minorities And Women In Private Industry (EEO-1) - 2009 EEO-1 National Aggregate Report."

¹⁰ Alliance for Board Diversity, Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards (2011).

¹¹ U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Current Population Survey, "Table PINC-01. Selected Characteristics of People 15 Years and Over, by Total Money Income in 2009, Work Experience in 2009, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex" (2010).

¹² U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Current Population Survey, "Table PINC-01. Selected Characteristics of People 15 Years and Over, by Total Money Income in 2009, Work Experience in 2009, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex" (2010).

UPDATED on May 3, 2011