Obama’s State of the Union Shows the Economy is Still a Priority for Latinos

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In his State of the Union address, President Obama shifted the focus back to the economy and jobs.

Declaring that he has renewed confidence the nation is stronger in every sense, the commander in chief called the country’s current economic revival an “unfinished task.”

Though immigration may make headlines, “jobs and the economy continue to be the No. 1 issue for Latinos,” says Leticia Miranda,  the senior advisor for economic policy at the National Council de la Raza.

Prior to the November election, jobs and the economy trumped the issue of immigration for Latino voters, according to a survey by the Pew Hispanic Research center.

“The importance of strengthening the economy so people in the community can thrive are key things that matter a lot to the Latinos,” Ash Kosiewicz, communications director at the Latino Economic Development Center, told Fox News Latino.

“A strong economy allows a lot of people in our community to lay down stronger roots.”

Making up 16 percent of the U.S. labor force, Latinos have become increasingly important to the country’s economic well being.

“Latinos view the economy as the most pressing concern facing our nation today,” the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) wrote in a statement regarding the address.

“We applaud the President for outlining his plan to tackle the economy and ‘accelerate’ job creation in the coming year.”

According to the bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among Latinos rose in January, to 9.7 percent.

Despite this slight increase, the Latino unemployment has remained below the 10 percent mark for three consecutive months for the first time since 2009.