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Foreign vs. U.S. Graduate Degrees: The Impact on Earnings Assimilation and Return Migration for the Foreign Born

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  • Randall Akee
  • Maggie R. Jones

Abstract

Using a novel panel data set of recent immigrants to the U.S., we identify return migration rates and earnings trajectories of two immigrant groups: those with foreign graduate degrees and those with a U.S. graduate degree. We focus on immigrants (of both genders) to the U.S. who arrive in the same entry cohort and from the same country of birth over the period 2005-2015. In Census-IRS administrative data, we find that downward earnings trajectories are predictive of return migration for immigrants with degrees acquired abroad. Meanwhile, immigrants with U.S.-acquired graduate degrees experience mainly upward earnings mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Randall Akee & Maggie R. Jones, 2019. "Foreign vs. U.S. Graduate Degrees: The Impact on Earnings Assimilation and Return Migration for the Foreign Born," Working Papers 19-17, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:19-17
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2019/CES-WP-19-17.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Randall Akee & Maggie R. Jones, 2019. "Immigrants’ Earnings Growth and Return Migration from the U.S.: Examining their Determinants using Linked Survey and Administrative Data," NBER Working Papers 25639, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Casey Warman & Arthur Sweetman & Gustave Goldmann, 2015. "The Portability of New Immigrants' Human Capital: Language, Education, and Occupational Skills," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 41(s1), pages 64-79, August.
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    7. Friedberg, Rachel M, 2000. "You Can't Take It with You? Immigrant Assimilation and the Portability of Human Capital," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(2), pages 221-251, April.
    8. Thomas B. Foster & Mark J. Ellis & Lee Fiorio, 2018. "Foreign-born and native-born migration in the U.S.: evidence from linked IRS administrative and census survey records," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 467-498, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Leafia Zi Ye & Michal Engelman, 2021. "Mobility, Stagnation, or Attrition? Diverse Earning Trajectories in a Cohort of Foreign‐born Men," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(1), pages 113-149, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Post-Secondary Education; Immigration; Human Capital; Wage Growth; Panel Data.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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