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Revisiting the Family Investment Model with Longitudinal Data: The Earnings Growth of Immigrant and U.S.-Born Women

Author

Listed:
  • Duleep, Harriet

    (College of William and Mary)

  • Dowhan, Daniel J.

    (U.S. Office of Research)

Abstract

Historical, longitudinal data are used to track the earnings of cohorts of immigrant and U.S.- born women over time. The longitudinal data circumvent potential cohort biases that afflict cross-sectional analyses of immigrant earnings growth and biases due to immigrant emigration and other issues that affect synthetic cohort analyses. Their historical nature permits the analysis of numerous cohorts. The central result to emerge from the multi-cohort study inspires revisiting the Family Investment Model. Less attention has been paid to the earnings of immigrant women than immigrant men despite the prominent role women’s earnings play in family income differences across ethnic groups (Reimers, 1984). There are also compelling reasons why the earnings profiles of immigrant women may differ from those of immigrant men. Thus to understand immigrant economic assimilation we must also understand immigrant women’s earnings. Using longitudinal data on individuals to describe the earnings profiles of multiple foreign- and U.S.-born cohorts, we discover a profound historical shift in the earnings patterns of foreignborn women. This central result, bolstered by several sensitivity tests, prompts revisiting a key model in the nascent literature on immigrant women’s labor force behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Duleep, Harriet & Dowhan, Daniel J., 2002. "Revisiting the Family Investment Model with Longitudinal Data: The Earnings Growth of Immigrant and U.S.-Born Women," IZA Discussion Papers 568, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp568
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sarit Cohen-Goldner & Chemi Gotlibovski & Nava Kahana, 2009. "The role of marriage in immigrants’ human capital investment under liquidity constraints," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 22(4), pages 983-1003, October.
    2. Benabed Anis, 2024. "Globalization and the global trending dimensions of the labor market in a challenging context: Aspects and insights," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 3645-3659.
    3. Alicia Adsera & Ana Ferrer, 2015. "Occupational Skills and Labour Market Progression of Canadian Immigrant Women," Working Papers 1504, University of Waterloo, Department of Economics, revised Dec 2015.
    4. Abdulla, Kanat, 2020. "Human capital accumulation: Evidence from immigrants in low-income countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 951-973.
    5. Cobb-Clark, Deborah & Crossley, Thomas F., 2004. "Revisiting the family investment hypothesis," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 373-393, June.
    6. Barrett, Alan & McCarthy, Yvonne, 2007. "The Earnings of Immigrants in Ireland: Results from the 2005 EU Survey of Income and Living Conditions," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), vol. 2007(4-Winter), pages 42-62.
    7. Zaiceva, Anzelika, 2010. "East-West migration and gender: Is there a differential effect for migrant women?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 443-454, April.
    8. Zaiceva, Anzelika, 2007. "East-West Migration and Gender: Is there a “Double Disadvantage” vis-à-vis Stayers?," IZA Discussion Papers 2810, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Ana Ferrer & Yazhuo (Annie) Pan & Tammy Schirle, 2023. "The Work Trajectories of Married Canadian Immigrant Women, 2006–2019," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 697-716, December.
    10. Cohen Goldner, Sarit & Gotlibovski, Chemi & Kahana, Nava, 2009. "A Reevaluation of the Role of Family in Immigrants' Labor Market Activity: Evidence from a Comparison of Single and Married Immigrants," IZA Discussion Papers 4185, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Alicia Adsera & Ana Ferrer, 2014. "Labour Market Progression of Canadian Immigrant Women," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 1434, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    12. Enrique Fernández-Macías & Rafael Grande & Alberto Rey Poveda & José-Ignacio Antón, 2015. "Employment and Occupational Mobility among Recently Arrived Immigrants: The Spanish Case 1997–2007," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(2), pages 243-277, April.
    13. Francine D. Blau & Lawrence M. Kahn, 2007. "Gender and Assimilation among Mexican Americans," NBER Chapters, in: Mexican Immigration to the United States, pages 57-106, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Jochimsen, Beate & Fendel, Tanja, 2022. "Home Care Allowance and Labor Market Participation of Immigrant and Native-Born Mothers," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264104, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Renate Ortlieb & Julian Winterheller, 2020. "Behind Migrant and Non‐Migrant Worktime Inequality in Europe: Institutional and Cultural Factors Explaining Differences," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(4), pages 785-815, December.
    16. Adserà, Alícia & Ferrer, Ana, 2016. "Occupational skills and labour market progression of married immigrant women in Canada," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 88-98.

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    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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