National Hispanic Heritage Month is traditionally celebrated September 15 – October 15 and is a time to reflect upon and honor the economic and cultural contributions of this community, past and present. It’s also a time to consider the state of Hispanic and Latina women in the workforce, and manufacturing, specifically.

According to a Department of Labor Women’s Bureau blog post in 2022, the following are key statistics focused on Hispanic and Latina women:

  • The number of Latinas in the labor force has jumped to 12.5 million, surpassing black women. Now, they account for 16% of the female labor force, and that figure is projected to grow dramatically, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • Latinas of Mexican descent comprise the largest share of those in the workforce, followed by those who identify as Puerto Rican or Cuban.
  • About two-thirds of employed Latinas work full-time.
  • Labor force participation among Latina moms has also risen and now stands at 62.8%, compared with 71.2% for all moms.

Sadly, the Women’s Bureau also notes that Hispanic & Latina women are about twice as likely as white women to be “working poor.” Part of this is attributed to “occupational segregation,” which the Women’s Bureau says can be alleviated by encouraging women to seek training and career opportunities that allow them to participate in “non-traditional occupations.”

Manufacturing – including the printing industry – is one sector that can serve to uplift future Hispanic and Latina women in the labor market. And, for an industry (like print) that is anxiously wondering how to broaden the base of its next generation workforce, developing a strategy to identify, recruit and train this under-represented pool of potential workers is a good idea.

Not only can companies in the printing industry consider career development strategies to reach this population, they can also set aside time during National Hispanic Heritage Month to focus on recognition and inclusion of their existing Hispanic and Latino/Latina employees. Courtesy of ADP, here is a list of suggested activities your company might consider implementing in September and October. Start small by tackling one item on this list or go big by doing them all. Either way, be sure to highlight your efforts on social media to encourage other printing companies to follow your lead.

Are you a Hispanic or Latina woman in print who would like to provide DE&I input or be interviewed/featured by Women in Print Alliance? Does your company engage in opportunities to acknowledge and honor Hispanic and Latina women at work? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us or email wpa@printing.org.