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<br />, <br />>.,-, <br /> <br />Social and Economic Environment <br /> <br />From 1950 to 1980, the largest decreases in population occurred in Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio <br />'J Grande, and Saguache Counties with a combined decrease of 8,842 persons. This decrease is <br />approximately 25 percent of the 1950 population. From 1980 to 1990, the SlV population increased <br />with most counties showing an increase. The exceptions are Conejos County with a 341-person decline <br />and Mineral County that had a 246-person decline due to the closure of the Homestake Silver Mine. <br /> <br />Saguache and Alamosa Counties have seen a population increase during the last decade of 15 to 17 <br />percent. These increases have been attributed to undercounting of populations in 1980, movement of <br />households within the SlV, and immigration due to economic growth and opportunity. <br /> <br />RACIAUNA TIONAL ORIGIN COMPOSITION <br /> <br />Using 1990 U.S. Census <br />information, Figure 11-3 illustrates <br />the racial composition of the six- <br />county region of the San luis <br />Valley. <br /> <br />Racial Composition <br />San Luis Valley, Colorado, 1990 Census <br /> <br />According to the U.s. Census, <br />persons of Hispanic origin may be <br />of any race. Origin is viewed as <br />the ancestry, nationality group, <br />lineage, or country of birth of a <br />person or their relatives before <br />their arrival in the United States. <br /> <br /> <br />American Indian - 9.2% <br />Asian - o.S% <br /> <br />Iack- 0.2'1\ <br /> <br />In the 1990 Census, people of <br />Hispanic origin included Mexicans, <br />Puerto Ricans, South or Central <br />Americans, and Spaniards. The <br />Census also included Native <br />Indians from those same lands. <br /> <br />Figure 11-3. Radal Composition <br /> <br />For the six-county region of the <br />San Luis Valley, the U.S. Census reported approximately 45% of the residents were of Hispanic origin. <br />Further review of the Census data reveals that the range of percentages of people of Hispanic origin <br />varies greatly, from Mineral County's 1 % to Costilla County's 77%. <br /> <br />EMPLOYMENT <br /> <br />From information provided by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Table 11-2 shows the <br />number of covered employees (those with Workmans Compensation Insurance) in each major economic <br />sector during 1980, 1985, and 1990. This information, while it does not include self-employed individuals <br />or farm labor, shows employment trends in the six-county region. <br /> <br />\ - ,.. " ',- <br />v" '{', <br />..... '- Jl ~ 0 <br /> <br />11-3 <br />