The National Institute of Latino Policy found recently that despite Latino residents representing 18 percent of the total population of New York State, they occupy just 7,213, or 4.9 percent, of state government jobs in 2013.

NiLP argues that in 2013, there were 3.6 million Latino residents in the state, or 18.4 percent of the total population. Given "the Latino share of the state's labor force, 15 percent, as a goal, Latinos should have had 22,799 jobs," said NiLP.

According to the government's own data, Latinos only hold 7,213 state jobs under the Cuomo Administration, a third of the goal. NiLP says with an annual base salary of $55,076 for all state workers, this represents a potential loss of wages worth $858.4 million for Latino workers in 2013, not including benefits.

NiLP's analysis went further to examine the 66 state agencies listed in the civil service 2013 workforce report. They found in only five agencies did Latinos make up 10 percent or more of the employees -- SUNY, Office of Mental Health, Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of People With Development Disabilities, and Health Department. Six agencies had no Latino representation -- Election Board, Adirondack Park Agency, Indigent Legal Services, Lake George Park Commission, Lieutenant Governor's office and Military and Naval Affairs. In comparison, whites make up at least 40 percent of employees in all 66 agencies and blacks at least 10 percent in 35 agencies.

The analysis found that only three Latinos held commissionerships or titles that could make policy decisions -- Cesar A. Perales, Secretary of State, Peter M. Rivera, Commissioner of Labor, and Arlene Gonzalez Sanchez, Commissioner of Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. In those three areas, the number of Latinos that made up the agency employees was only 7.2 percent.

NiLP said the underemployment of Latinos in the New York State government workforce is a problem that has existed for decades when the Institute of Puerto Rican Policy (IPR) first issued its report in 1982, and the topic of equality in hiring is absent from the political agendas of 13 Latino members of the State Assembly and six State Senators.

NiLP argues identifying inequality matters because without equality in hiring in policymaking positions, the concerns of Latinos are not addressed. And matters concerning racial and ethnic discrimination, unemployment and underemployment and economic distress are overlooked.