National Rate

A new study of the Hispanic market in the United States projects increases in household disposable income and consumer spending through 2020 that significantly outpace the expected national growth rate. The study based its estimates on the continued rapid expansion of the Hispanic population. Titled "Snapshots of the U.S. Hispanic Market," the report, released last week, said Hispanic spending patterns "often show a sharp contrast of growth in an otherwise flat market. It also seeks to highlight the importance of targeting Hispanic consumers to achieve maximum sales gains.

U.S. Census data ranked Maryland as the fourth-most-educated state in 2000 with 31.7 percent of its residents completing at least a bachelor's degree. Massachusetts ranked first, with 35 percent; West Virginia finished last, with 14.1 percent. The national rate is 25.1 percent. State......Percent of residents with ..........a bachelor's degree or more.........Rank Massachusetts.......35.0..........................1 Connecticut...........33.3..........................2 Colorado......

Although the number of Marylanders working reached an all-time high in March, a record number of job-seekers pushed the state's unemployment rate up slightly for the month, the state labor department reported yesterday. The state's unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent in March from 5 percent the month before. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted to take into account temporary gains and losses in jobs because of weather or holidays. The national unemployment rate for March was 6.1 percent, but 5.7 percent if seasonally adjusted.

Maryland's unemployment rate decreased slightly in December as many workers left the labor market and others found temporary jobs with businesses looking to supplement their staff during the holiday season. The state's unemployment rate was 4.1 percent for the month, down from October's 4.3 percent. When seasonal anomalies - such as a surge in retail hiring around the holidays - are factored out, the state's unemployment rate actually increased to 4.5 percent, state officials reported yesterday.

Maryland's unemployment rate declined in November for the first time since spring as businesses hired temporary help for the holiday season, the state labor department announced yesterday. The state's unemployment rate in November was 4.3 percent, down from October's 4.4 percent. The national rate in November was 5.6 percent. The state said November hiring was much slower than in previous years. And job gains were in the retail sector. Maryland's unemployment rate in November 2000 was 3.8 percent.

Baltimore has the highest industrial vacancy rate in the nation. The city's 18.3 percent availability rate for industrial space for the first quarter of 2001 was more than double the national rate of 8.1. These rankings measure the supply of available space in manufacturing plants and warehouses of 100,000 feet or larger. City Industrial vacancy rate Rank Baltimore 18.3 percent 1 Washington 15.9 percent 2 Jacksonville, Fla. 15.5 percent 3 Tucson, Ariz. 13.5 percent 4 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 12.8 percent 5

Mortgage delinquency at 4.34% in Maryland in first three months The mortgage delinquency rate in Maryland was higher than the regional and national average during the first three months of this year, according to the latest National Delinquency Survey released by the Mortgage Bankers Association. While the national rate fell to its lowest point in 28 years, Maryland's delinquency rate of 4.34 percent surpassed the South Atlantic region's rate of 4.04 percent and the national rate of 3.45 percent.

Maryland has improved its ranking in the most recent edition of a national survey that measures conditions for children, moving to 22nd in the country this year on the strength of its wealth and the declining numbers of students dropping out of school. But Jann Jackson, executive director of Advocates for Children and Youth in Baltimore, said that although Maryland is doing better, the gap between its haves and have-nots is larger than that of other states. Maryland remained near the bottom of the country in its rate of infant deaths and low-weight babies, according to the annual Kids Count Data Book, which is to be released today in Washington, D.C. Maryland ranked best in its rate of child poverty, which was seventh-lowest in the nation.