Latinos as a group account for just 15% of the nation's workforce, but they have racked up half the employment gains posted since the economy began adding jobs in early 2010, according to Labor Department statistics

The Labor Department figures show that of the 2.3 million jobs added to the economy in 2011, 1.4 million, or 60%, were filled by Latinos. The sectors where they gained a large share of jobs included hotels, food services, healthcare and manufacturing. So far, Latinos are the only demographic group whose employment numbers have returned to pre-recession levels. Why are Latinos doing better now than other groups? One reason may be that they are more willing to take low-wage, temporary jobs due to their lower levels of education. Just 10% of foreign-born and 13.5% of native Latinos have finished college, placing the group's completion rate at about a third of the national average.