The Mixed Economic Progress of Immigrants / Robert F. Schoeni and Others.

This report examines whether the economic well-being of male immigrants to the United States improves substantially over time, details differences in economic progress of immigrants from different countries of origin, and assesses the impact of educational attainment on immigrants' earnings. Analyses are based on Public Use Micro Samples of the 1970, 1980, and 1990 censuses. Since one in four California workers is an immigrant, findings for California are emphasized and compared to those for the nation. Immigrants to California are a heterogeneous group. Most are poorly educated and have low English proficiency, but substantial proportions are highly skilled or were educated in the United States. The largest immigrant group (37 percent) was born in Mexico; followed by 12 percent in Japan, Korea, or China; 9 percent in the Philippines; and 8 percent in Central America. Earnings of immigrant workers relative to native-born workers have declined substantially over the past 20 years, and immigrants have begun to dominate the lowest-skill jobs. Immigrants' economic progress over time varies considerably by country of origin. Japanese, Korean, and Chinese workers enter the U.S. labor market with wages much lower than native-born workers but reach parity in 10-15 years. Europeans enter with wages similar to natives and continue at parity. Mexicans enter with very low wages and experience a persistent wage gap. Although education is a powerful predictor of earnings, substantial differences in earnings profiles persist after adjusting for education. Finally, the rate of wage growth relative to native-born workers has not changed over time for any immigrant group. Contains 40 references and many data tables and figures. (SV)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.