FAU Poll Finds Hispanics Less Optimistic on Economy than General Population and Favor Path to Citizenship
MEDIA CONTACT: Joshua Glaner
561-297-1168, jglanzer@fau.edu
BOCA RATON, Fla. (September 18, 2014) –The first survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics
Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) within the College of Business finds Hispanics are significantly less optimistic
about the economy than the population as a whole.
On the Index of Consumer Sentiment, an established measure of relative optimism, Hispanics surveyed in August scored a 68.3 compared to the 82.5 score from Thomson Reuters University of Michigan sample taken in the same month.
“The data suggests that education is a key factor in consumer sentiment and outlook. Hispanics without a high school degree scored a 58 on the index while those with a college degree held an 87 score,” said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of the initiative. “The same trend applies to the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Consumer Expectations.”
The FAU survey sample included 649 Hispanics across the nation with a margin of error of 3.8 percent.
Pathway to citizenship favored by majority of Hispanics polled
The FAU BEPI survey also reveals that 57 percent of Hispanics support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. When asked about the current wave of children illegally immigrating to the U.S. and the speed of associated legal procedures, 55 percent of Hispanics wanted to see the legal process sped up versus 45 percent who wanted to keep it as it is.
Several other opinions on various topics also are polled in the survey. Additional information about this survey and the initiative can be accessed at www.business.fau.edu/bepi.
The FAU BEPI conducts surveys on business, economic, political and social issues with a focus on Hispanic attitudes and opinions at regional, state and national levels. This survey is the first in a series of planned monthly national surveys of Hispanics by the FAU BEPI. The initiative subscribes to the American Association of Public Opinion Research and is a resource for public and private organizations, academic research and media outlets. In addition, the initiative is designed to contribute to the educational mission of the University by providing students with valuable opportunities to enhance their educational experience by designing and carry out public opinion research.
For more information, contact Monica Escaleras at 561-297-1312 or BEPI@fau.edu.
-FAU-
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of three signature themes – marine and coastal issues, biotechnology and contemporary societal challenges – which provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.