from 93,000 10 years earlier. The Census Bureau defines the West North Central region as Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. Similar findings were reported last week by the Bureau of National Affairs Inc. in its "Daily Labor Report 2000: Regional Outlook on Labor Markets." The bureau said Illinois now had the nation's fifth-largest Hispanic population, the highest ranking among states not in the Sun Belt. In Illinois and the other Midwest states, the bureau said, Hispanic immigrants are working in construction, restaurants, small manufacturing and farming. The Bureau of National Affairs defines the Midwest as Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. More than any other region of the country, these states are "literally running out of workers," the bureau report said. In addition to creating fertile employment ground for Hispanic immigrants, the Midwest's tight labor market opens doors for other workers. The bureau report said young teens are joining the work force earlier, at-home spouses are re-entering the job market, and older workers are postponing or coming out of retirement. Also, people moving off welfare have entered the job market in the last three years. ...
