Latino population accounts for all of area’s net growth, study finds

By Ben Stanley of BizTimes – Milwaukee Business News

The Latino population is responsible for all of the Milwaukee metro area’s net growth in both population and employment during the last 25 years, a study has found.

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation released the results of a study examining the four-county Milwaukee metropolitan area’s Latino population Thursday morning.

The study, called “Latino Milwaukee: A Statistical Portrait” was commissioned by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and completed by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development.

It takes a detailed look at the region’s Latino community and how it has changed over the past quarter century.

Among the findings, the metropolitan area’s Latino population increased by 213 percent to more than 160,000 between 1990 and 2014, accounting for more than 10 percent of the region’s total population.

“The findings in this report underscore the significant role the Latino community will play in the future of our region,” said Marcus White, vice president of civic engagement for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, in a prepared statement. “The data reveals disparities but also opportunities. Though it doesn’t explain why certain trends are occurring, the information provides us with important questions to explore together with our community partners.”

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