An increasing number of Hispanic women say their financial situation is better today than it was a decade ago, according to a survey just released by the Pew Research Center’s National Survey of Latinos.
A solid 50% of Hispanic woman respondents said their economic fortunes are improved over where things stood in 2014, while another large 52% in a separate question expressed optimism that matters will only get better in the next 10 years.
Despite this optimism, the survey also indicated that a big 66% of respondents said the gender pay gap issue, with men earning more money for the same kind of work than women, is a real concern for them.
But the positive outlook of the respondents is the tale of an American demographic group’s success, with 69% of Hispanic women now actively participating in the country’s labor force, up from 65% a decade ago. At the same time, the median hourly wage of Hispanic women has seen a 17% rise, for an average of $19.23 today.
Particularly impressive: 23% of Hispanic women today have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 16% ten years ago.
According to a narrative accompanying the survey, the number of Hispanics in general enrolled in a postsecondary institution “has grown substantially, a trend driven more by women than men.”
“As a result,” continues the narrative, “the share of Hispanics ages 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree, both women and men, almost doubled.”
The narrative additionally notes that Hispanic women have “taken on larger shares of the economic responsibility in their relationships over time.” In the last 15 or so years, the number of Hispanic women involved in what is described as a “financially egalitarian relationship” has increased from 24% to 28%.
Simultaneously, the number of Hispanic women saying their husbands are the primary family breadwinners has declined from 66% to 59%.
By Garry Boulard
Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay
