Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Kentuckiana

During this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s celebrate the people of Hispanic and Latino heritage who live in the Kentuckiana region. Understanding their contributions to our workforce, culture, and community reveals why this population is essential to Kentuckiana's present and future.

The Kentuckiana region is home to nearly 111,000 people who identify as Hispanic or Latino. Accounting for 8% of the population in 2024, the Hispanic population has grown exponentially in the last thirty years.

Kentuckiana’s Hispanic and Latino population live throughout the 13-county region. But more than 85% of the region’s Hispanic population lives in one of three counties – Jefferson County, KY, Clark County, IN, or Shelby County, KY. One in ten people living in Shelby and Jefferson counties identifies as Hispanic or Latino.

Over half of the region’s Hispanic or Latino population was born in the United States, and among those born in the States, more than half were born in the state they currently live in.

The region’s Hispanic and Latino population traces their heritage to more than 25 different countries. Mexicans and Cubans account for more than two-thirds of the region’s Hispanic and Latino population. 10% of the region’s Hispanic and Latino population trace their origins to one of the seven Central American countries, led by representation from Guatemala. South Americans comprise 5% of the region’s Hispanic and Latino population, led by representation from Colombia and Peru.

Kentuckiana’s Hispanic and Latino population are key to the region’s future, as they are much younger than the non-Hispanic population. Just 13% of the region’s Hispanic population are ages 55 and older, while nearly a third of the non-Hispanic population is. An aging population is expected to contribute to a tight labor market for years to come.

Kentuckiana’s Hispanic and Latino population are also key to the region’s current workforce. The labor force participation rate among the region’s Hispanic and Latino population is 10 percentage points higher than labor force participation among the region’s non-Hispanic population. This is at least partially attributable to the age distribution of the population.

There are more than 44,000 Hispanic and Latino workers across Kentuckiana, and they are critical to some of the region’s key sectors. They are overrepresented in industries including manufacturing, logistics, and hospitality. 2-in-5 of the Hispanic workforce is employed in one of these three industries. However, they are underrepresented in healthcare and the public sector.

The roles held by Hispanic and Latino workers are often in low-quality jobs. As is the case for other workers of color, data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows how the region’s Hispanic workers are underrepresented in high-quality managerial, technical, and professional positions, and overrepresented in low-quality laborer and service positions.

Kentuckiana's Hispanic and Latino community is young, engaged, and essential to the region's workforce. Despite their critical contributions, Hispanic and Latino workers are often concentrated in low-quality jobs. This Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to move beyond celebration to action: investing in pathways to better employment, supporting Hispanic-owned businesses, and ensuring equitable access to the opportunities this community helps create.