Occupational Status and Mobility among Undocumented Immigrants by Gender

Abstract

This article addresses two issues concerning about the integration and mobility of undocumented immigrants in the United States: 1) whether undocumented men and women improve their earnings and occupational status over time and 2) the extent of variation in occupational status and mobility by gender and region. Data from the 1989 Legalized Population Survey indicate that both undocumented men and women, on average, improved their earnings and occupational status between their first jobs in the United States and their jobs just prior to application for legalization under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. The earnings, occupational status, and occupational mobility of men were greater than for women, however.