ABSTRACT
As the 21st century approaches, the population of the United States is becoming increasingly diverse. It is projected that by 2000, 71.8% of the population will be of European descent whereas 12.2% will be African Americans, 11.4% Hispanics, 3.9% Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, and 0.7% Native Americans (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1998). By 2010, European Americans will decrease further to 68% whereas all other groups will increase with Hispanics comprising 13.8%, African Americans 12.6%, Asian/Pacific Islander Americans 4.8%, and Native Americans 0.8% (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1998). Projections of the resident population by age and race in the year 2000 indicate that the potential entrants into the labor force, those aged 18-24, will represent 9.2% of European Americans but 11.8% of Native Americans, 11.7% of Hispanics, 11.2% of African Americans, and 10.3% of Asian/Pacific Islanders (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1998). Greater proportions of ethnic minority groups than the majority group will enter the labor force. “Most new entrants to the labor force will be non-White, female, or immigrants” (Hudson Institute, 1987, p. 95). Thus, the ethnic composition of the civilian labor force will change substantially.
