Agency says N.C. Latino Population Growth Slows GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina's Latino population growth has slowed considerably as the jobs that lured immigrants dried up, according to a report issued Wednesday by a local nonprofit agency. The Latino population grew 3.5 percent statewide from 2002 to 2003, compared to 8.7 percent from 2001 to 2002, said FaithAction International House, a Greensboro organization that promotes racial diversity and helps immigrants. The Triad's Latino population growth rate dropped even more, from 9.9 percent in 2001-2002 to 3.3 percent in 2002-2003. FaithAction's executive director, the Rev. Mark Sills, uses birth rate data to estimate the Latino population each year. He wants to aid organizations and governments that plan for religious, health care, educational and social service needs. The estimates are critical, Sills said, because the frequently relied-upon counts from the U.S. Census Bureau are low, though they are becoming more accurate. Sills expected this year's report to show no growth or even a drop in the size of the state's Latino community because economic woes mean there are no jobs drawing immigrants here. ’It was a surprise to see there's still growth taking place," Sills said. The increase, he said, is nearly all from new births. ’We think that the influx of Latinos from other states and countries has slowed to a trickle," Sills said. Local officials say the numbers seem accurate, based on demands for their services. ’That's right on target," said Merle Green, assistant director for the Guilford County Department of Public Health. She said there is a greater demand for services for infants and adolescents. FaithAction estimates that about 549,000 Latinos lived in the state on Jan. 1, up from about 530,000 in 2002. Two weeks ago, the Census Bureau estimated the state's Latino population in 2002 was 444,000, about 19 percent lower than FaithAction's estimate. The Census Bureau acknowledges that its Latino counts are typically low because of language barriers and because illegal immigrants may fear cooperating with the government. Sills also stresses that his estimates may be off, though he said professional demographers in Wake and Mecklenburg counties have independently come up with similar results to Sills'. FaithAction estimates that nearly three-quarters of the state's Latinos live in urban areas, a significant change from the 1990s when most lived in rural counties or near military bases. Latinos are more likely to live in or near cities, Sills said, because they have moved into manufacturing, landscaping and construction jobs that pay more and offer steady work compared to farm jobs that were seasonal and required them to move from place to place. Despite the slowdown, the Latino population still is growing faster than the state's population in general.

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