Library Index :: Family and Social Issues of the United States :: Occupations - African-americans And Jobs, Hispanic Americans And Jobs, Asian-americans And Jobs, Native Americans/alaska Natives And Jobs

Occupations - Hispanic Americans And Jobs

Significant occupational differences exist among Hispanic subgroups. Overall, Hispanics are less likely than African-Americans to hold professional and technical positions. In 2002 Hispanics held 5.8 percent of managerial and professional jobs, compared to African-Americans, who held 8 percent of such jobs. (See Table 4.2.) A sizable proportion of Cuban Americans, however, hold such jobs. Like African-Americans, Hispanics, with the exception of the Cuban Americans who came to this country following the Cuban Revolution, are concentrated primarily in low-paying, low-skill jobs.

In 2002 Hispanics represented 12.2 percent of the total civilian labor force age sixteen and over—for the

TABLE 4.1
Employed persons by occupation, race, and sex
(Percent distribution)

Total Men Women
Occupation and race 2001 2002 2001 2002 2001 2002
Total
Total, 16 years and over (thousands) 136,933 136,485 73,196 72,903 63,737 63,582
Percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Managerial and professional specialty 30.9 31.1 28.9 28.9 33.2 33.7
Executive, administrative, and managerial 15.0 15.1 15.1 15.2 14.8 14.9
Professional specialty 15.9 16.1 13.8 13.6 18.3 18.9
Technical, sales, and administrative support 28.8 28.5 19.5 19.6 39.5 38.8
Technicians and related support 3.3 3.3 2.9 2.8 3.8 3.8
Sales occupations 11.8 11.9 11.2 11.4 12.6 12.5
Administrative support, including clerical 13.7 13.3 5.5 5.4 23.1 22.4
Service occupations 13.6 14.1 10.1 10.6 17.6 18.1
Private household .5 .5 (*) .1 1.1 1.1
Protective service 1.8 1.9 2.7 2.9 .8 .8
Service, except private household and protective 11.3 11.6 7.4 7.7 15.7 16.2
Precision production, craft, and repair 11.1 10.7 18.9 18.5 2.1 1.9
Operators, fabricators, and laborers 13.2 13.0 18.9 18.8 6.6 6.3
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 5.0 4.8 6.0 5.8 3.9 3.6
Transportation and material moving occupations 4.2 4.3 7.0 7.1 .9 .9
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 4.0 4.0 5.9 5.9 1.7 1.8
Farming, forestry, and fishing 2.4 2.6 3.6 3.8 1.1 1.1
White
Total, 16 years and over (thousands) 114,430 114,013 62,212 61,849 52,218 52,164
Percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Managerial and professional specialty 31.7 31.9 29.5 29.5 34.3 34.8
Executive, administrative, and managerial 15.6 15.7 15.8 16.0 15.4 15.5
Professional specialty 16.0 16.2 13.7 13.6 18.9 19.3
Technical, sales, and administrative support 28.8 28.7 19.5 19.5 39.9 39.5
Technicians and related support 3.3 3.3 2.9 2.8 3.8 3.9
Sales occupations 12.1 12.3 11.6 11.7 12.8 13.0
Administrative support, including clerical 13.4 13.1 5.1 5.0 23.3 22.7
Service occupations 12.5 12.8 9.2 9.6 16.4 16.7
Private household .5 .5 (*) .1 1.1 1.1
Protective service 1.7 1.7 2.5 2.6 .7 .7
Service, except private household and protective 10.3 10.6 6.6 6.9 14.6 15.0
Precision production, craft, and repair 11.7 11.4 19.8 19.4 2.0 1.8
Operators, fabricators, and laborers 12.7 12.4 18.1 17.9 6.2 5.8
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 4.8 4.5 5.8 5.5 3.6 3.2
Transportation and material moving occupations 4.1 4.1 6.7 6.8 .9 .9
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 3.8 3.8 5.6 5.6 1.7 1.7
Farming, forestry, and fishing 2.7 2.8 3.9 4.1 1.2 1.3
Black
Total, 16 years and over (thousands) 15,006 14,872 6,938 6,959 8,068 7,914
Percent 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Managerial and professional specialty 22.6 22.7 18.6 18.6 26.0 26.3
Executive, administrative, and managerial 10.4 10.4 9.4 9.6 11.3 11.2
Professional specialty 12.2 12.3 9.2 9.0 14.7 15.1
Technical, sales, and administrative support 29.2 28.2 18.7 18.9 38.3 36.4
Technicians and related support 3.1 2.9 2.3 2.1 3.7 3.7
Sales occupations 9.5 9.3 7.9 8.3 10.9 10.1
Administrative support, including clerical 16.6 16.0 8.4 8.5 23.6 22.6
Service occupations 21.6 22.7 17.8 18.3 24.8 26.6
Private household .6 .6 (*) (*) 1.1 1.1
Protective service 3.2 3.5 5.0 5.3 1.7 1.9
Service, except private household and protective 17.8 18.6 12.8 12.9 22.1 23.6
Precision production, craft, and repair 7.5 7.3 14.3 13.7 1.8 1.6
Operators, fabricators, and laborers 18.0 17.9 28.5 28.3 8.9 8.8
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 6.5 6.5 7.8 7.9 5.3 5.3
Transportation and material moving occupations 6.1 6.2 11.3 11.5 1.5 1.6
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 5.4 5.2 9.4 8.9 2.1 1.9
Farming, forestry, and fishing 1.1 1.2 2.0 2.2 .2 .2
*Less than 0.05 percent
SOURCE: "10. Employed Persons by Occupation, Race, and Sex," inHousehold Data Annual Averages, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC, 2002 [Online] www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat10.pdf[accessed March 1, 2004]

TABLE 4.2
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
(Numbers in thousands)

2002
Percent of total:
Occupation Total employed Women Black Hispanic origin
Total, 16 years and over 136,485 46.6 10.9 12.2
Managerial and professional specialty 42,482 50.5 8.0 5.8
Executive, administrative, and managerial 20,561 45.9 7.6 6.3
Officials and administrators, public administration 720 52.6 13.0 7.6
Administrators, protective services 54 25.3 13.3 2.0
Financial managers 803 50.5 8.4 6.8
Personnel and labor relations managers 219 66.0 8.0 5.1
Purchasing managers 140 43.3 6.6 4.7
Managers, marketing, advertising, and public relations 735 38.4 3.7 4.9
Administrators, education and related fields 849 64.6 11.3 6.1
Managers, medicine and health 828 78.4 9.5 6.2
Postmasters and mail superintendents 51 50.0 9.2 3.5
Managers, food serving and lodging establishments 1,494 46.5 9.8 9.2
Managers, properties and real estate 618 50.0 7.4 9.8
Funeral directors 58 23.9 9.6 2.3
Management-related occupations 5,182 58.2 9.0 6.5
Accountants and auditors 1,702 59.4 9.0 6.0
Underwriters 101 67.4 7.4 7.0
Other financial officers 880 50.0 9.2 7.1
Management analysts 545 42.2 6.2 2.5
Personnel, training, and labor relations specialists 624 74.9 10.5 7.6
Buyers, wholesale and retail trade, except farm products 229 55.3 4.6 9.0
Construction inspectors 72 5.0 3.1 11.0
Inspectors and compliance officers, except construction 247 36.4 14.4 7.8
Professional specialty 21,921 54.7 8.3 5.3
Engineers, architects, and surveyors 2,249 11.6 4.2 4.1
Architects 197 20.1 2.3 5.2
Engineers 2,028 10.8 4.5 4.0
Aerospace engineers 90 8.1 .9 6.0
Chemical engineers 77 16.5 3.1 3.1
Civil engineers 267 10.8 5.5 4.0
Electrical and electronic engineers 677 10.3 5.9 4.0
Industrial engineers 235 17.2 4.4 5.3
Mechanical engineers 301 6.9 2.9 2.6
Mathematical and computer scientists 2,030 30.8 7.3 5.1
Computer systems analysts and scientists 1,742 27.8 6.9 5.2
Operations and systems researchers and analysts 238 48.9 10.7 5.6
Natural scientists 545 35.1 4.1 2.9
Chemists, except biochemists 130 29.8 8.6 3.8
Agricultural and food scientists 51 34.6 3.6 6.1
Biological and life scientists 119 44.0 2.3 2.4
Medical scientists 89 60.4 6.1 3.8
Health diagnosing occupations 1,176 29.2 4.7 4.7
Physicians 825 30.6 5.0 5.8
Dentists 180 19.4 4.0 3.3
Health assessment and treating occupations 3,267 86.4 9.7 3.7
Registered nurses 2,311 92.9 10.0 3.3
Pharmacists 231 51.7 8.0 2.5
Dietitians 74 90.2 18.7 5.0
Therapists 562 77.5 8.3 5.5
Respiratory therapists 97 58.4 14.1 3.8
Occupational therapists 78 89.1 6.1 5.1
Physical therapists 167 70.2 4.5 6.9
Speech therapists 117 94.3 4.7 2.8
Physicians' assistants 89 59.5 7.4 5.1
Teachers, college and university 1,015 42.7 5.4 5.4
Teachers, except college and university 5,652 75.0 10.1 6.1
Prekindergarten and kindergarten 647 97.7 14.7 7.8
Elementary school 2,341 83.0 11.0 6.4
Secondary school 1,289 58.1 7.0 5.1
Special education 374 85.4 9.9 4.3
Counselors, educational and vocational 282 74.3 16.9 6.8
Librarians, archivists, and curators 231 78.8 7.0 4.6
Librarians 207 81.7 7.8 5.1
Social scientists and urban planners 457 59.6 8.3 4.5
Economists 123 55.0 6.2 4.6
Psychologists 277 65.9 9.5 3.8

TABLE 4.2
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
(Numbers in thousands)

2002
Percent of total:
Occupation Total employed Women Black Hispanic origin
Social, recreation, and religious workers 1,556 57.3 17.4 7.3
Social workers 848 74.0 22.7 8.6
Recreation workers 129 74.2 20.5 8.3
Clergy 393 14.1 9.8 4.0
Lawyers and judges 963 29.3 4.7 3.3
Lawyers 929 29.2 4.6 3.1
Writers, artists, entertainers, and athletes 2,498 49.8 5.7 7.3
Authors 139 54.7 2.3 3.8
Technical writers 68 61.5 5.1 5.2
Designers 770 56.4 3.5 8.5
Musicians and composers 161 36.4 12.9 5.8
Actors and directors 155 38.2 8.4 8.7
Painters, sculptors, craft artists, and artist printmakers 225 47.9 3.4 7.2
Photographers 178 33.2 4.1 6.7
Editors and reporters 280 48.5 4.7 3.3
Public relations specialists 211 68.2 9.2 4.6
Announcers 52 16.4 11.5 9.8
Athletes 95 25.8 11.8 6.8
Technical, sales, and administrative support 38,947 63.4 10.8 9.8
Technicians and related support 4,509 54.1 9.7 7.6
Health technologists and technicians 1,879 81.5 14.3 8.6
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians 384 76.5 19.4 7.0
Dental hygienists 133 98.1 1.5 2.0
Radiologic technicians 182 74.4 5.8 8.6
Licensed practical nurses 382 94.9 20.6 5.0
Engineering and related technologists and technicians 980 20.8 7.7 7.7
Electrical and electronic technicians 433 19.1 9.2 4.9
Drafting occupations 247 21.6 4.1 12.3
Surveying and mapping technicians 65 9.1 .3 10.2
Science technicians 291 47.2 6.5 6.6
Biological technicians 131 59.5 3.7 6.1
Chemical technicians 64 33.6 11.6 7.3
Technicians, except health, engineering, and science 1,359 41.8 5.5 6.2
Airplane pilots and navigators 129 4.2 1.1 .3
Computer programmers 605 25.6 4.0 5.0
Legal assistants 401 82.2 7.4 10.7
Sales occupations 16,254 49.0 8.5 9.6
Supervisors and proprietors 4,828 39.6 6.4 8.1
Sales representatives, finance and business services 2,944 44.8 6.8 5.8
Insurance sales 612 45.0 6.3 4.6
Real estate sales 839 55.1 4.4 5.7
Securities and financial services sales 568 28.6 6.4 3.8
Advertising and related sales 181 61.8 5.1 6.7
Sales occupations, other business services 744 41.3 10.7 8.2
Sales representatives, commodities, except retail 1,563 25.2 3.1 5.1
Sales representatives, mining, manufacturing, and wholesale 1,526 25.6 3.0 5.1
Sales workers, retail and personal services 6,811 62.7 11.9 13.3
Sales workers, motor vehicles and boats 358 11.3 11.0 11.4
Sales workers, apparel 390 77.7 12.7 14.8
Sales workers, shoes 97 52.8 17.9 18.1
Sales workers, furniture and home furnishings 181 50.7 5.2 10.5
Sales workers, radio, television, hi-fi, and appliances 309 27.2 8.4 9.1
Sales workers, hardware and building supplies 296 23.3 6.3 8.9
Sales workers, parts 153 8.6 2.4 14.6
Sales workers, other commodities 1,467 66.2 8.3 11.8
Sales counter clerks 183 59.8 12.5 12.0
Cashiers 2,942 76.7 15.6 15.4
Street and door-to-door sales workers 334 72.9 10.5 11.2
News vendors 103 36.7 7.6 9.4
Sales-related occupations 107 71.0 9.0 10.5
Demonstrators, promoters, and models 77 73.1 8.9 11.7
Administrative support occupations, including clerical 18,184 78.5 13.1 10.6
Supervisors, administrative support 717 60.5 15.7 10.8
Supervisors, general office 402 69.4 15.3 9.6
Supervisors, financial records processing 107 81.6 17.2 10.0
Supervisors, distribution, scheduling, and adjusting clerks 185 31.6 16.2 14.4
Computer equipment operators 308 47.1 12.0 8.5

TABLE 4.2
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
(Numbers in thousands)

2002
Percent of total:
Occupation Total employed Women Black Hispanic origin
Computer operators 301 46.9 11.8 8.4
Secretaries, stenographers, and typists 3,020 97.6 9.9 8.2
Secretaries 2,302 98.6 8.4 7.9
Stenographers 146 95.2 3.1 3.0
Typists 571 93.9 17.6 10.9
Information clerks 2,053 89.0 11.7 12.3
Interviewers 169 82.2 13.4 11.7
Hotel clerks 131 70.1 15.2 11.1
Transportation ticket and reservation agents 237 72.7 13.2 8.8
Receptionists 1,068 97.1 9.2 14.2
Records processing, except financial 995 80.5 15.8 10.9
Order clerks 289 74.9 20.6 11.2
Personnel clerks, except payroll and timekeeping 70 79.1 12.1 16.1
Library clerks 130 79.2 10.6 6.2
File clerks 288 81.5 14.8 14.2
Records clerks 206 87.4 15.0 7.7
Financial records processing 2,205 91.8 8.2 8.1
Bookkeepers, accounting, and auditing clerks 1,592 92.7 7.1 7.3
Payroll and timekeeping clerks 175 91.2 9.8 8.5
Billing clerks 229 89.7 14.4 9.7
Cost and rate clerks 51 81.2 10.8 12.4
Billing, posting, and calculating machine operators 159 89.8 8.1 12.4
Duplicating, mail and other office machine operators 58 55.1 19.2 11.5
Communications equipment operators 138 83.6 26.2 11.1
Telephone operators 119 85.4 25.9 10.3
Mail and message distributing 907 39.7 20.8 8.0
Postal clerks, except mail carriers 274 49.5 30.7 5.8
Mail carriers, postal service 338 29.9 16.0 5.9
Mail clerks, except postal service 165 52.5 21.6 12.6
Messengers 130 28.1 11.3 12.1
Material recording, scheduling, and distributing clerks 1,995 45.9 13.7 14.4
Dispatchers 258 55.0 14.6 9.9
Production coordinators 230 57.4 9.2 7.3
Traffic, shipping, and receiving clerks 623 30.9 13.8 21.0
Stock and inventory clerks 463 43.9 14.9 12.0
Weighers, measurers, and checkers and samplers 53 51.6 15.5 23.2
Expediters 310 65.7 13.7 13.3
Adjusters and investigators 1,929 73.8 16.1 10.3
Insurance adjusters, examiners, and investigators 497 71.9 15.8 7.6
Investigators and adjusters, except insurance 1,135 74.5 15.0 10.8
Eligibility clerks, social welfare 86 87.3 17.0 12.8
Bill and account collectors 212 68.5 22.0 13.1
Miscellaneous administrative support 3,858 84.2 13.8 11.8
General office clerks 842 83.3 14.4 10.8
Bank tellers 477 87.3 11.9 11.0
Data-entry keyers 595 81.8 16.1 12.5
Statistical clerks 97 85.1 11.2 11.1
Teachers' aides 813 91.6 13.2 16.3
Service occupations 19,219 59.9 17.6 18.1
Private household 746 94.7 12.3 34.4
Child care workers 229 97.6 7.7 19.6
Cleaners and servants 500 93.7 13.6 40.7
Protective service 2,596 19.9 19.9 10.7
Supervisors 237 13.3 16.4 11.4
Police and detectives 126 15.7 17.8 6.9
Guards 66 17.7 21.3 17.8
Firefighting and fire prevention 262 4.1 9.5 9.0
Firefighting 248 3.4 9.6 9.4
Police and detectives 1,076 18.3 17.4 11.4
Police and detectives, public service 586 15.5 11.9 11.5
Sheriffs, bailiffs, and other law enforcement officers 162 19.3 15.5 12.5
Correctional institution officers 328 23.0 28.1 10.6
Guards 1,022 27.0 26.0 10.3
Guards and police, except public services 885 21.9 28.2 10.7
Service occupations, except private household and protective service 15,877 64.9 17.5 18.5
Food preparation and service occupations 6,614 55.8 11.9 19.8
Supervisors, food preparation and service 488 67.0 12.5 10.6
Bartenders 341 55.1 3.2 8.5

TABLE 4.2
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
(Numbers in thousands)

2002
Percent of total:
Occupation Total employed Women Black Hispanic origin
Waiters and waitresses 1,430 74.9 5.8 13.7
Cooks 2,264 40.3 16.7 27.1
Food counter, fountain and related occupations 398 66.0 12.8 13.1
Kitchen workers, food preparation 338 68.5 9.9 15.9
Waiters' and waitresses' assistants 696 52.5 8.9 19.7
Miscellaneous food preparation 659 50.4 16.6 27.2
Health service occupations 2,817 89.2 30.6 12.7
Dental assistants 224 98.0 5.7 14.6
Health aides, except nursing 350 78.6 23.8 13.3
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 2,243 89.9 34.1 12.4
Cleaning and building service occupations 3,162 45.7 20.3 26.8
Supervisors 183 31.7 27.1 18.1
Maids and housemen 709 82.3 21.4 31.0
Janitors and cleaners 2,199 36.4 19.6 26.6
Pest control occupations 63 1.4 10.6 12.6
Personal service occupations 3,284 80.7 14.6 12.9
Supervisors 143 69.5 10.2 7.6
Barbers 91 23.4 29.0 15.9
Hairdressers and cosmetologists 908 89.7 12.4 10.9
Attendants, amusement and recreation facilities 267 40.3 9.8 7.2
Public transportation attendants 129 80.0 14.2 10.1
Welfare service aides 113 82.8 20.7 16.1
Family child care providers 457 99.4 15.6 16.9
Early childhood teachers' assistants 536 93.8 17.3 16.5
Precision production, craft, and repair 14,660 8.2 7.4 17.1
Mechanics and repairers 4,760 4.5 8.0 12.1
Supervisors 237 7.4 6.7 9.8
Mechanics and repairers, except supervisors 4,523 4.4 8.1 12.3
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics and repairers 1,831 1.3 7.0 13.6
Automobile mechanics 867 1.4 7.5 16.2
Bus, truck, and stationary engine mechanics 343 .7 7.6 9.7
Aircraft engine mechanics 126 2.2 7.3 10.6
Small engine repairers 53 .7 3.1 5.5
Automobile body and related repairers 212 2.2 5.4 20.3
Heavy equipment mechanics 180 .4 7.3 5.6
Industrial machinery repairers 460 3.2 6.5 10.4
Electrical and electronic equipment repairers 870 12.0 11.2 10.9
Electronic repairers, communications and industrial equipment 193 5.8 10.8 14.0
Data processing equipment repairers 283 16.7 10.5 8.2
Telephone installers and repairers 240 15.9 11.7 10.1
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics 357 .6 7.2 13.3
Construction trades 6,304 2.4 6.5 20.6
Supervisors 963 2.4 5.0 10.0
Construction trades, except supervisors 5,341 2.4 6.8 22.5
Brickmasons and stonemasons 236 .4 11.2 28.8
Tile setters, hard and soft 104 1.2 3.5 42.2
Carpet installers 140 3.8 4.7 32.4
Carpenters 1,563 1.8 5.6 21.0
Drywall installers 187 2.1 3.4 40.6
Electricians 862 2.5 7.1 11.0
Electrical power installers and repairers 126 3.2 8.2 8.0
Painters, construction and maintenance 654 4.9 7.7 31.1
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters 548 1.5 8.0 15.2
Concrete and terrazzo finishers 104 1.2 13.7 37.8
Insulation workers 60 10.8 7.6 28.6
Roofers 235 2.4 5.9 29.1
Structural metalworkers 67 1.4 6.6 16.9
Extractive occupations 115 1.9 6.5 9.7
Precision production occupations 3,481 23.8 8.1 17.7
Supervisors 1,056 19.9 9.0 14.7
Precision metalworking 826 6.8 5.4 11.8
Tool and die makers 99 2.3 1.2 4.2
Machinists 470 5.4 5.4 12.1
Precious stones and metals workers 52 31.0 3.2 28.1
Sheet-metal workers 125 3.0 7.1 12.3
Precision woodworking occupations 104 11.4 6.8 20.2
Cabinet makers and bench carpenters 74 6.4 5.0 18.3
Precision textile, apparel, and furnishings machine workers 189 53.0 4.3 27.7
Dressmakers 81 86.7 2.3 17.8

TABLE 4.2
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
(Numbers in thousands)

2002
Percent of total:
Occupation Total employed Women Black Hispanic origin
Upholsterers 58 20.5 6.4 40.2
Precision workers, assorted materials 449 54.0 7.5 18.3
Optical goods workers 72 68.0 7.3 10.2
Dental laboratory and medical appliance technicians 66 44.5 4.8 12.4
Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers 237 63.1 8.8 21.7
Precision food production occupations 431 36.6 9.6 37.6
Butchers and meat cutters 229 20.8 10.7 40.6
Bakers 148 50.3 8.9 33.2
Food batchmakers 54 65.9 7.0 36.5
Precision inspectors, testers, and related workers 156 23.9 9.2 14.1
Inspectors, testers, and graders 149 23.8 9.6 13.7
Plant and system operators 271 5.0 13.6 8.5
Water and sewage treatment plant operators 77 4.1 15.2 11.5
Stationary engineers 114 2.9 14.0 8.2
Operators, fabricators, and laborers 17,697 22.7 15.1 19.6
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 6,488 35.3 14.9 20.9
Machine operators and tenders, except precision 4,065 34.6 15.7 22.4
Metalworking and plastic working machine operators 286 17.2 11.0 13.6
Punching and stamping press machine operators 69 26.7 13.5 8.0
Grinding, abrading, buffing, and polishing machine operators 91 20.5 11.3 21.0
Metal and plastic processing machine operators 136 19.5 15.3 17.1
Molding and casting machine operators 86 23.8 19.2 15.4
Woodworking machine operators 114 12.9 9.9 15.7
Sawing machine operators 71 10.2 9.4 16.9
Printing machine operators 353 25.2 9.8 15.8
Printing press operators 274 18.1 9.7 16.5
Textile, apparel, and furnishings machine operators 757 67.6 18.8 34.8
Textile sewing machine operators 352 77.2 13.4 41.9
Pressing machine operators 81 69.5 28.6 42.0
Laundering and dry cleaning machine operators 204 59.3 19.9 29.7
Machine operators, assorted materials 2,401 29.5 16.5 21.1
Packaging and filling machine operators 268 55.9 18.0 31.0
Mixing and blending machine operators 113 11.2 22.3 23.5
Separating, filtering, and clarifying machine operators 66 9.9 14.3 6.8
Painting and paint spraying machine operators 154 13.9 6.3 27.2
Furnace, kiln, and oven operators, except food 50 7.4 22.1 14.2
Slicing and cutting machine operators 138 23.5 12.8 26.9
Photographic process machine operators 89 60.5 12.3 7.7
Fabricators, assemblers, and hand working occupations 1,769 31.7 12.7 18.1
Welders and cutters 511 5.1 9.0 16.5
Assemblers 1,108 42.2 15.1 18.3
Production inspectors, testers, samplers, and weighers 654 49.4 15.7 19.4
Production inspectors, checkers, and examiners 472 50.6 16.2 14.0
Production testers 54 20.3 12.5 13.1
Graders and sorters, except agricultural 124 57.8 15.4 43.0
Transportation and material moving occupations 5,814 10.4 16.0 14.2
Motor vehicle operators 4,482 12.1 16.2 13.8
Supervisors 97 25.5 12.8 12.1
Truck drivers 3,234 4.9 13.2 13.9
Drivers-sales workers 153 10.5 14.2 10.8
Bus drivers 605 48.4 29.0 10.2
Taxicab drivers and chauffeurs 332 12.4 22.4 19.7
Parking lot attendants 53 14.3 23.3 21.3
Transportation occupations, except motor vehicles 169 4.5 9.4 8.1
Rail transportation 111 4.1 12.5 9.8
Locomotive operating occupations 54 3.5 15.3 15.6
Water transportation 58 5.2 3.3 4.7
Material moving equipment operators 1,163 4.6 16.2 16.8
Operating engineers 265 1.1 9.2 10.4
Crane and tower operators 72 .4 13.8 9.3
Excavating and loading machine operators 106 1.0 6.5 15.1
Grader, dozer, and scraper operators 52 5.2 11.2 6.8
Industrial truck and tractor equipment operators 563 7.1 21.3 22.7
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 5,395 20.9 14.3 23.9
Helpers, construction and extractive occupations 123 6.5 8.8 42.3
Helpers, construction trades 114 6.5 9.5 43.6
Construction laborers 1,089 3.9 9.7 33.3

TABLE 4.2
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
(Numbers in thousands)

2002
Percent of total:
Occupation Total employed Women Black Hispanic origin
Production helpers 54 23.9 19.6 22.8
Freight, stock, and material handlers 1,949 25.4 16.6 15.9
Stock handlers and baggers 1,105 33.8 13.2 15.7
Machine feeders and offbearers 62 51.0 15.4 15.5
Garage and service station related occupations 171 8.8 11.2 17.5
Vehicle washers and equipment cleaners 306 10.6 16.4 27.6
Hand packers and packagers 397 60.1 15.7 35.4
Laborers, except construction 1,267 21.8 14.3 22.6
Farming, forestry, and fishing 3,480 20.6 4.9 24.4
Farm operators and managers 1,168 24.5 1.2 4.2
Farmers, except horticultural 898 25.5 .7 2.5
Horticultural specialty farmers 76 13.5 5.0 17.4
Managers, farms, except horticultural 169 22.4 .7 6.4
Other agricultural and related occupations 2,181 19.2 6.9 36.4
Farm occupations, except managerial 779 21.4 4.3 45.6
Farm workers 716 21.0 4.7 45.4
Related agricultural occupations 1,403 18.1 8.4 31.2
Supervisors 188 7.7 5.5 19.1
Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm 973 7.8 10.0 35.4
Animal caretakers, except farm 170 68.1 4.3 4.8
Graders and sorters, agricultural products 68 67.7 2.8 71.1
Forestry and logging occupations 85 7.3 5.8 8.1
Timber cutting and logging occupations 54 1.6 7.5 6.0
Note: Generally, data for occupations with fewer than 50,000 employed are not published separately but are included in the totals for the appropriate categories shown.
SOURCE: "11. Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin," in Household Data Annual Averages, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC, 2002 [Online] www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.pdf [accessed March 1, 2004]

first time surpassing African-Americans (10.9 percent). (See Table 4.2.) A year earlier African-Americans held an edge with 11.3 percent, compared to 10.9 percent for the Hispanic demographic. Hispanics made up 40.7 percent of the nation's cleaners and servants in private households. They also comprised 19.8 percent of the food preparation and service industry. Hispanics were also likely to work in construction jobs. Hispanics made up 15.2 percent of plumbers, pipe fitters, and steamfitters, and 37.8 percent of concrete and terrazzo finishers. Many Hispanics also served as operators, fabricators, and laborers. Hispanics made up 41.9 percent of textile sewing machine operators and 42 percent of pressing machine operators.

When it comes to job outlook, Cuban-origin Hispanics have traditionally done better in securing higher-paying jobs. In 2002, 27.5 percent of Cuban Americans in the workforce held professional or managerial positions. In contrast, 20.3 percent of Puerto Ricans in the workforce held professional or managerial positions. Among Mexican Americans, only 12 percent of workers held professional or managerial positions. Mexican Americans were most likely to work as operators, fabricators, and laborers, with 22.9 percent of them holding such positions. Puerto Ricans and Cubans were more likely to work in technical, sales, and administrative support jobs. (See Table 4.3.)

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