Page 43 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 1

GROWING POPULATION
The population of the United States has grown steadily over the years, as shown in
Figure 2-1. The growth rate is largely determined by the birth rate, the death rate,
and the level of immigration into the country. Generally, as the standard of living
increases, the birth rate falls, and this has been the case in the United States. At the
same time, because of better health care and an improved public health system,
people are living much longer.
Much of the population increase takes place through immigration. The United
States annually accepts more legal immigrants than any other country in the
world, with large numbers coming from Asian and Latin American nations. Many
immigrants also enter the country illegally to seek a better life.

CHANGING POPULATION

The nature of the population has been changing, too. Currently, more than 80
percent of Americans can be racially classified as Caucasian. Because of higher
birth rates among nonwhite Hispanics and African-Americans, and recent immi-
gration, their proportions in the population have been growing. This growing
diversity of the workforce increases the need for better cross-cultural communi-
& ent age groups. For example, because of the high birth rate during 1945–1965,
facts cation and sensitivity to the interests and concerns of various groups.
Changes in the birth rate have caused shifts in the number of people in differ-
figures there are more people in the 42–62 age group. Because of this baby boom, the
number of people aged 55 and over today has increased substantially. The low-
birth-rate period that followed the boomer period is called the baby bust period.
In 2004, Hispanic purchasing
power in the United States was
approximately $700 billion; by FIGURE 2-1 Size of Population in the United States
2010, it is estimated to be at
least $1 trillion. By the year
(Millions of People)
2050, the Hispanic population
will reach nearly 100 million, 300
representing almost 25 percent
of the U.S. population.

250

200

150

100

50
1900 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2006

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

30