Latino Dropout Rate Reaches 28 Percent
The National Council of La Raza recently released a study that indicated a Hispanic dropout rate of 28 percent.
The report also included strategy recommendations to improve the opportunities of young Latinos and the social barriers they face as they enter the job market.
According to the study, only “58% of Latinos complete high school when compared with 78 percent of non-Hispanic whites.”
These figures correspond significantly with unemployment rates because 40 percent of Latinos age 25 and up without high school diplomas are unemployed or only have a temporary job.
New jobs are forecasted to require at least some university education, thus indicating the sad reality that Latinos will continue to be concentrated in low-paying labor jobs.
La Raza report places an emphasis on the importance of establishing educational programs focused on Latinos between the ages of 16 and 24 who dropped out and are not working.
“Keeping in mind that Hispanics are going to represent a very important segment in the future labor force, it’s crucial to reengage these young people in their training, educate them, to be able to place these kids, who now are at risk of social exclusion, on the road to quality employment and economic stability,” said Simon Lopez, NCLR’s director for Workforce and Leadership Development.
Other factors that contribute to the increased dropout rates of Latinos include language barriers, immigration status of their families, low-incomes and over representation in the juvenile justice system.
The NCLR report stresses the importance of addressing the increased dropout rates and high unemployment rates immediately because of the repercussions it will have to the economy in the future.
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