South Florida will play a key role in future U.S. job growth due to its large and burgeoning Hispanic population, most of whom are younger than the region’s Anglo residents.

Colorado-based international research firm IHS released "Hispanic Immigration and U.S. Economic Growth" on Tuesday. The national study estimates that from 2020 to 2034, Hispanics will generate 75 percent of employment growth in the U.S. South Florida’s huge Hispanic population and steady influx of new immigrants will be major contributors.

Over the next 20 years, the number of foreign-born Latinos in the U.S. is expected to climb from 22 million to over 29 million. Overall, U.S. population growth is expected to average 0.8 percent; Latino population growth will average 2.1 percent.

In 2013, Hispanics comprised half of all South Florida residents, representing 2.2 million out of 4.5 million, said lead study author and IHS economist James Gillula.The Hispanic segment of the population is expected to reach the high 50’s by 2034.

Florida has the narrowest earning gap between Latinos and other ethnicities in the U.S. This should help spur Hispanic job growth, said the South Florida Business Journal.

The younger age of Hispanic workers compared to other ethnicities is another impetus, as are the high numbers of Latinos currently living and working in South Florida. Construction, health services, and leisure and hospitality jobs in particular are expected to grow.

A younger Hispanic workforce also means fewer Latino retirees. The situation is the opposite among Anglos, with many Boomers moving to South Florida, the study said. “There is such a higher incidence of retirement amongst non-Hispanics, that while there will be a lot of job opportunities for them in the coming years, it won’t balance out," said Gillula.

The study examined U.S. Census Bureau and United Nations data and assumptions, said the South Florida Business Journal. The net migration rates from 10 Latin American countries and Puerto Rico were also factored in. UN data indicates that the U.S. is a top destination for immigrants from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Peru.