As a steady movement of the Hispanic population from Southern New England to Southern New Hampshire continues, experts say communities here might benefit from a bilingual work force and a more diverse population.

As a virtually monochromatic state - only Maine, Vermont and West Virginia are less diverse - New Hampshire has been disadvantaged when it comes to the need for multilingual workers, or workers with a global perspective, some experts say.

But the Hispanic population has doubled in eight of New Hampshire's 10 counties since 1990, according to U.S. Census figures.

Londonderry, Derry and Salem are among nine large communities experiencing some of the most significant changes, said Tom Duffy of the Office of Energy and Planning.

Hispanics moving to New Hampshire tend to be second- and third-generation immigrants, experts say, moving here largely from Massachusetts and Connecticut. Their parents and grandparents are the ones who came to the United States from Latin America, Mexico and other parts of the world.

Second- and third-generation immigrants put far less stress on schools and businesses, according to Peter Francese, a demographer with the New England Economic Partnership. They speak English, for instance, and have grown accustomed to the local culture.

Still, schools and businesses are making changes in the way they function - at least in the Granite State's more diverse communities.

In Salem, where Census figures show the Hispanic population has tripled since 1980, the school district has seen a marked increase of Spanish-speaking students.

In the late 1990s, 21 students were enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages in Salem schools, Superintendent Michael Delahanty said. Today, there are more than 200 such students.

"We've increased our English as a second language or other language staff by 11/2 people over the past three years," he said.

That's not an enormous increase in a school district with a $46 million annual budget, but it's a trend that's not likely to reverse itself, either.

Employers have made some changes, too.

"That's something that is on, I think, everyone's radar," said Chris Nicoli, spokesman for Canobie Lake Park in Salem.

The park hires an ethnically diverse group of employees each summer. Students from Eastern Europe come as part of an exchange program, and many Spanish-speakers work at the park, as well, he said.

"If there is (a customer) who we're having difficulty communicating with," he said, odds are, there's an employee who speaks the right language.

Still, Nicoli said, the park doesn't make a conscious decision to hire multilingual employees. It just happens that way.

It's different at Wal-Mart, which has stores throughout the region. On Route 28 in Salem, many Wal-Mart cashiers slip effortlessly between English and Spanish, depending on which language the customer is most comfortable with.

That's not an accident, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Ashley Huggins said.

Wal-Mart, she added, makes an effort to promote diversity, particularly in the ranks of management. The company employs 154,000 Hispanic employees nationwide. Figures for Wal-Mart employees in New Hampshire were not available.

Still, compared to Essex County, Mass., Southern New Hampshire is virtually monochromatic. Just over the border in Essex County, 14 percent of the population is Hispanic or Latino. In Salem, it's estimated to be closer to 4 percent.

Things are slowly changing.

"Those populations in Lowell and Lawrence have been there for a long time," Francese said. "The normal pattern of immigrant population is for the next generation to move."

Duffy, of the state Office of Energy and Planning, agreed.

"The fact that they are not very far from Lawrence and Methuen (Mass.), sure, that makes sense," he said.

Hispanic population growth

Derry

1980 - 132 of 18,875

1990 - 407 of 29,745

2000 - 643 of 34,112

Londonderry

1980 - 95 of 13,598

1990 - 185 of 19,798

2000 - 356 of 34,112

Salem

1980 - 169 of 24,124

1990 - 364 of 25,841

2000 - 552 of 28,219

Hispanic population growth and projections for New Hampshire

July 1995 - 13,000

July 2000 - 17,000

July 2005 - 20,000

July 2015 - 28,000

July 2025 - 34,000

Source: The New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, based on U.S. Census data