A Demographic Portrait of Occupational Outcomes for Immigrants in the Saint Louis Metropolitan Region

J.S. Onésimo SandovalAssociate Professor and

Co-Director of the Public and Social Policy Ph.D. ProgramSaint Louis University

Email: jsandov3@slu.edu

Pedro RuizPh.D. Student in the Ph.D. Program for Public and Social Policy

Saint Louis UniversityEmail: pedro.ruiz@slu.edu

Outline of Presentation• Motivation

• Research Objectives

• Research Design and Data

• Empirical Findings

• Summary

MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY

49,833

80,945

130,636

135,074

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Foreign-born Population Trends

Foreign-born population

171% increase in the foreign-born population since 1990

The pre-tabulated tables provide important information but we are limited with our analysis.

For example, we only have five occupational categories.

The goal of this study was to develop amethodology to allow researchers andnon-profit organizations to answer anyquestion beyond the pre-tabulated tables.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Three Objectives• Develop a methodology to study occupational outcomes by demographic

characteristics for:– Unemployed foreign-born workers– Employed foreign-born workers – Underemployed foreign-born workers– STEM occupations

• Develop a methodology to map the results for the Saint Louis Region

• Develop a methodology to allow for comparisons with other regions in future studies

RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA

Data• American Community Survey Aggregate Data from American FactFinder

• American Community Survey IPUMS– 5 year sample (2011-2015 )– PUMA Geography for maps

• Analytical Plan for Occupational Outcomes– Unemployed foreign-born workers– Employed foreign-born workers– Underemployed foreign-born workers

• working but living in poverty• working in an occupation not using their education

– STEM foreign-born workers

KEY DEMOGRAPHICCHARACTERISTICS

• Immigrants are still trying to understandthe concept of U.S. racial categories

• Slightly less than half of the immigrantshad a college or post-college education

33 35

27

31

82ASIAN BLACK LATINO OTHER WHITE

NUMBER OF COUNTRIES FOR EACH RACIAL CATEGORY

135 countries werrrepresented by the working age immigrant population

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

36%

10%

20%

2%

32%

ASIAN BLACK LATINO OTHER WHITE

RACE OF WORKING-AGE IMMIGRANT POPULATION

36% of the working-age immigrant population was Asian

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

56%

19%

25%

LESS THAN COLLEGE EDUCATION

COLLEGE EDUCATION

POST COLLEGE EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

56% of working-age immigrants had less than a college education

HOW MUCH TALENT DO WE HAVE IN THE REGION THAT IS UNDER-UTILIZED?

QUESTION #1

79,1

49

5,30

1

73,8

48

9,60

4

20,9

48

IN LABOR MARKET UNEMPLOYED WORKING UNDEREMPLOYED STEM

IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN SAINT LOUIS, MO

13% of employed immigrants were underemployed

28% of employed immigrants are in STEM occupations

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

WHO ARE THE UNEMPLOYED IMMIGRANTS?

QUESTION #2

27%

7%

25%

5%

36%

ASIAN BLACK LATINO OTHER WHITE

UNEMPLOYED

36% of unemployed immigrants were White

7% of unemployed immigrants were Black

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

71%

20%

9%

LESS THAN COLLEGE EDUCATION

COLLEGE EDUCATION

POST COLLEGE EDUCATION

UNEMPLOYED

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

71% of unemployed immigrants had less than a college education

12%

20%

4%

20%

1%

8%

11%

24%

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Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

24% of unemployed immigrants were classified as protective and military

WHO ARE THE EMPLOYED IMMIGRANTS?

QUESTION #3

36%

10%

20%

2%

31%

ASIAN BLACK LATINO OTHER WHITE

EMPLOYED

36% of employed immigrants were Asian

31% of employed immigrants were White

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

55%

18%

26%

LESS THAN COLLEGE EDUCATION

COLLEGE EDUCATION

POST COLLEGE EDUCATION

EMPLOYED

55% of employed immigrants had less than a college education

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

28%

21%

10%

19%

0%

5%

16%

0%

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EMPLOYED

28% of employed immigrants were in Business, Finance, Arts, and Science

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

WHO ARE THE UNDEREMPLOYED IMMIGRANTS?

QUESTION #4

26%

13%

35%

1%

25%

ASIAN BLACK LATINO OTHER WHITE

UNDEREMPLOYED

35% of underemployed immigrants were Latino

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

54%

29%

17%

LESS THAN COLLEGE EDUCATION

COLLEGE EDUCATION

POST COLLEGE EDUCATION

UNDEREMPLOYED

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

46% of underemployed immigrants had a college or post-college education

9%

16%

2%

34%

2%

12%

26%

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UNDEREMPLOYED

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

34% of underemployed immigrants were in services

WHO ARE THE IMMIGRANTS IN STEM OCCUPATIONS?

QUESTION #5

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5%

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TOP 10 STEM OCCUPATIONS

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

25% of STEM immigrants were in occupations related to computers

63%

10%

6%

3%

19%

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TOP TEN STEM

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

63% of STEM immigrations were Asian

8%

25%

67%

LESS THAN COLLEGE EDUCATION

COLLEGE EDUCATION

POST COLLEGE EDUCATION

STEM

Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year sample, IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org. Figure created by Sandoval and Ruiz.

67% of STEM immigrants had a post-college education

IS THERE A SPATIAL PATTERN FOR IMMIGRANTS?

QUESTION #6

St. Louis City had the largest concentration of working-age immigrants

St. Louis County had the largest concentration of STEM workers

SUMMARY

General Conclusions

• 7% of working age immigrants were unemployed

• 13% of working immigrants were underemployed

• 1 out of 4 (28%) working immigrants are in STEM

Specific Trends by Occupation

• 96% in military or protective occupations were unemployed immigrants.

• Business, Finance, Arts, and Science was the largest occupation category (28%) followed by Sales, Office, and Education (21%) for the employed immigrants.

• Services occupation accounted for the largest number of underemployed immigrants.

• Of the top 10 STEM occupation, 1 out of 4 (25%) jobs were in a computer field.