Over the last 30 years, the number of Hispanics in the United States workforce has grown substantially. Hispanic representation grew from 10.7 million in 1990 to 29 million in 2020. Research indicates that number will only continue to climb. Hispanic workers in the U.S. labor force are projected to reach 35.9 million in 2030.
While Hispanics and Latinos comprise a large portion of the workforce, they are underrepresented in senior executive positions. Research from the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility sheds light on how stark the disparity is. According to them, Hispanics hold 4% of corporate board positions and less than 4% serve as CEOs.
“Coqual finds that Latinx professionals report fewer advancement opportunities overall. Thirty-two percent of Latinx men and 19% of Latinx women say their time to promotion is longer than their peers, and nearly one in four Latinx men say they have been passed over for a promotion in favor of another colleague,” said Dr. Nathan M. Castillo, Ph.D., Vice President, Research at Coqual. He offered his insights in an interview as part of Fair360’s Hispanic Heritage Month Meeting in a Box.