Shifts in racial demographics in the US over the next 10 years will pose challenges to recruiters and employers, according to Greg Netland, chief executive at recruiter Vedior North America.

By 2016, one-third of people in the US will be minorities, and one in four will be of Hispanic origin, Netland said, speaking at the American Staffing Association conference this month.

The biggest growth will be in Hispanic and Asian populations. California, Florida and Texas will see "disproportionate" increases, because these states will account for 46% of overall US population growth. However, every state in the Midwest and Southeast also has rapidly growing minority populations.

Netland added that "a large percentage" of recent immigrants do not speak English and do not have a high school diploma — a benchmark qualification used by most US employers.

The "minority shift" is just one of the demographic trends that will affect the US workplace, Netland said. Others, which are also found in the UK, include an aging workforce, skills gaps and regional changes.

Netland also noted regional variations. He pointed to a falling population in the American Northeast, typically an industrial zone, and a predicted drop over the next 25 years in the number of "prime age" Southern workers as examples of regional changes.