NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — U.S. Latinos contributed $4.4 trillion to the nation’s economy in 2024, according to the 2026 U.S. Latino Economic Impact Report from the Latino Donor Collaborative.
The report, produced with research from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, found the U.S. Latino economy grew at an annual rate of 5.4% between 2019 and 2024, more than twice the 2.4% growth rate for the overall U.S. economy.
Latinos make up about one-fifth of the U.S. population but accounted for 28.2% of the nation’s economic growth in 2024, according to the report.
The report says that growth is being driven in part by a younger Latino population, workforce participation and business creation. In 2024, Latinos accounted for roughly two-thirds of the growth in the U.S. working-age population.
There are now about 5.7 million Latino-owned businesses with employees across the country, and those businesses are forming at more than 2.5 times the national average.
WATCH: A new report shows U.S. Latinos contributed $4.4 trillion to GDP
The report also found Latino household spending reached $2.8 trillion in 2024, showing the impact of Latino consumers alongside workers and business owners.
In North Las Vegas, four Latina entrepreneurs are building businesses of their own while contributing to that broader economic picture.
Ixela Gutierrez owns Gutic Enterprises, a business rooted in more than 30 years of cultural tradition.
“I help them to perform, learn the dances from those countries, and perform that way the audience can know the dances from Latin America,” Gutierrez said.
Lily Tejada runs Vida Fitness, where she says her work is about more than exercise.
“Trying to help people, especially women, to transform their lives,” Tejada said.
Kristell Ortega’s business, Kunku, was inspired by her family.
“We have three kids on the spectrum. And for me, it’s very important to create awareness, and that’s why we started to build different kinds of furniture that’s for them,” Ortega said.
Mayani Grey owns Dominican Beauty Salon and said local networking events have helped her develop the skills to run and promote her business.
“It gave me the tools to learn as a business owner, to market, how to promote, how to put my business out there,” Grey said.
The women met through “Conectando con Cafecito,” a monthly networking event hosted at the University of Nevada, Reno Extension office in North Las Vegas. The event brings together Latina entrepreneurs to share experiences, build connections, and learn from one another.
Grey said the experience has helped her see her own business as part of a larger movement.
“I’m proud to be a Latina. I am proud to be a part of that growth. I’m proud of being in that movement of Latinos that came to America that understood that being in this land has given us the opportunity to become business owners,” Grey said.
Gutierrez said Latino entrepreneurs bring their own strengths to the business community.
“We really are hard workers. We create and build businesses. And we work with the family and we have a lot of values and then we spend money and hire people,” Gutierrez said.
For the four women, building a business is also about what comes next.
They say they hope the work they are doing today lays the groundwork for the next generation and creates more opportunities for those who follow.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
