Research

The Latino Coalition released the results of the 2006 National Latino Survey during the 2006 Small Business Economic Summit in Washington, D.C.

The Hispanic unemployment rate reached a historic low of 5.2% in the second quarter of 2006. The gap between the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates for Latinos and non-Latinos was just 0.6 percentage points–the smallest since 1973, when employment data on Latinos first became available. Wages for Latino workers also rose between the second quarters of 2005 and 2006, and at a faster rate than for other workers. Those developments reflect significant improvement in the labor market for Latinos in 2005-06 and indicate that the jobs recovery from the recession in 2001 is nearing completion for Hispanic workers.

This is an excerpt from the September 2006 report “The Multicultural Marketing Equation” part of the Florida State University AOL/DMS Multicultural Marketing Project. Respondents reported the approximate amount of time they spend per week using new communication related technologies. These included a) Speaking on a cellular phone, b) Listening to CDs, c) Listening to MP3s or an iPod, d) Playing electronic games, and for comparison purposes we also included e) On outdoor activities.

Nielsen Media Research reported that average American television viewing continues to increase in spite of growing competition from new media platforms and devices, such as video iPods, cell phones and streaming video. During the 2005-2006 television year, which ended on September 17, 2006, traditional in-home television viewing continued to hold its own with audiences, and even gained among technology-savvy teenagers.

In 2006, US ethnic communities account for one-third of every dollar spent on consumer telecommunications services, according to a new market research study from The Insight Research Corporation. The largest minority group, Hispanics, representing nearly 44 percent of the US minority population, spend the most. The ability to tap into the increased spending power of the Hispanic-American, African-American, and Asian-American communities will be crucial to the survival of telecommunications providers over the next five years.

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) announced the results of its survey assessing trends and influential factors in US Hispanic advertising over the past decade. The survey, part of AHAA’s reflection on the industry in celebration of its 10-year anniversary, questioned AHAA member agency principals about events affecting their businesses and their projections of future investments by corporate America to reach the approaching $1 trillion in US Hispanic consumer spending.

Mediafax announced that an agreement has been completed between Mediafax and comScore Networks whereby Mediafax will make comScore Media Metrix Internet reporting services available to Puerto Rico advertisers, ad agencies and media companies.

Currently there are more than 16 million Hispanics online or 55% of the total U.S. Hispanic population. Of those 16 million, 77% have access to broadband. While online penetration among Hispanics has grown rapidly over the last several years, a new survey, “The AOL Latino 2006 Hispanic Cyberstudy” conducted by Synovate’s Diversity Group, finds that habit and cultural relevancy define Internet usage for Hispanics.

This report examines the use of computers and the Internet by American children enrolled in nursery school and students in kindergarten through grade 12.

Earbuds, laptops, and cell phones are among the constants in the complex portrait of today’s returning college class, heading back to campus with a record number of gadgets enabling perpetual mobile connectivity. These essential tools tether students to a sophisticated, wired campus, where connectedness extends from the dorm room to the classroom; and friends, professors, and troves of digital music are rarely out of touch.

In the Spring of 2006 Florida State University under the leadership of Felipe Korzenny, Ph.D. – Professor and Director of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication conducted a multicultural online consumer research study with approximately 3000 respondents. About 1000 questionnaires each were completed by Non Hispanic Whites (NHW) and Hispanics (H); and almost 500 each by African Americans (AA) and Asians (A). The main purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which multicultural marketing efforts can aim at cultural commonalities or whether these efforts must be culturally targeted.

This study uses household survey data and other sources through June of 2006 to evaluate changes in employment, wages and composition of jobs in the United States and in California.

California, Hawaii, and Florida remain the most popular states that U.S. adults would choose to live in if they could live in any state outside of their own, according to a new Harris Poll. Last year, these states were also ranked as the “Top 3” though in a slightly different order: Hawaii has moved to #2 and Florida has dropped to #3.