Economic Trends

MINORITY HOUSEHOLDS HEAD FOR BIG GAINS IN THE 1990s

While total households will grow by 12.9%, or 11.9 million, from 1990 to 2000, minority households will grow a great deal faster. The Numbers News newsletter reports that black households will increase by 20.7%, five times faster than white households, bringing the black share of households up to 12%.

But the real growth in the 1990s is occurring among Hispanic households. Although they represented only 7% of all households in 1990, they are expected to increase by 48% and to account for one out of four households added during the decade. Since Hispanics live in larger-than-average families (3.83 persons compared with 3.17 overall), the newsletter points out that each additional Hispanic family unit implies "significant consumer spending."GENE KORETZ