This advance report based on the March 1988 supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) presents preliminary data on selected demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the Hispanic population of the United States. The Hispanic civilian noninstitutional population in March 1988 totaled about 19.4 million, a 34% increase since 1980; the non-Hispanic population increased 7% in that period. About half of Hispanic growth resulted from net migration and half from natural increase. The proportions of Hispanics completing 4 years of high school or more, and completing 4 or more years of college reached 51% and 10%, respectively, both records. About 55% of Hispanics resided in California and Texas. Married couple families decreased by 1988 to 70% from 74% in 1982. The unemployment rate among Hispanics 16 and over was 8.5%, its lowest level since the survey of March 1983, shortly after the end of the last recession. The poverty rate was 25.8%, little changed since 1982. The origins of Hispanic Americans were 62% Mexican, 13% Puerto Rican, 5% Cuban, and 12% Central or South American. These subgroups varied considerably in educational attainment, family composition, employment, and median family income. The report includes five graphs and four tables of selected social and economic characteristics, by type of Hispanic origin and by year from 1982 to 1988. Appendices discuss CPS data source, estimation procedure, and reliability of estimates, and they contain facsimiles of March 1988 CPS questionnaires. (SV)