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

Randall Akee and Maggie R. Jones

Working Papers from U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies

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.

Keywords: Post-Secondary Education; Immigration; Human Capital; Wage Growth; Panel Data. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 J15 J31 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2019-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mig and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2019/CES-WP-19-17.pdf First version, 2019 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cen:wpaper:19-17

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