Transcript Slide 1

Profile of Immigrant Workers,
Families, and Children in Maryland
The Social Integration of Immigrants in Maryland: A New
Comprehensive Approach
Annapolis, MD, September 22, 2009
Karina Fortuny
The Urban Institute
Randy Capps
Migration Policy Institute
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Today’s Presentation
• Help provide context for conference themes
• Overview of immigrant integration in
Maryland project
• Highlights of findings
– Immigrant workforce
• “The Contributions of Immigrant Workers to the Economy” 2008
report
– Children of immigrants
• Preliminary findings
• Policy recommendations
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Overview of Immigrant Integration in
Maryland Project
• Profile of immigrants in Maryland and selected
counties in 2005 – 2006
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Identifying strengths and needs for a better policy response
National picture does not suffice as large variations across states
Broader framework of immigrant integration
Two-generational approach
• Informing state and local policy
– Governor’s Executive Order
– Maryland Council for New Americans report
• Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
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Immigrant Workforce
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Immigrant Shares of Lower-Skilled
Workers Has Grown the Fastest
Shares of workers that are foreign-born
2000
32%
2006
23%
20%
15%
12%
15%
12%
10%
Total population
All workers
Low-wage workers
Lower-skilled workers
Note: a. Low-wage workers earned less than twice the minimum wage in 1999 or in 2005. Self-employed workers are
excluded from this tabulation. b. Lower-skilled workers have less than a high school education.
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Immigrants Concentrated in Montgomery,
Prince George’s, and Baltimore Counties
• Three-quarters of immigrants in three counties
– 170,000 in Montgomery (41% of all immigrants)
– 101,000 in Prince George’s (24%)
– 43,000 in Baltimore (10%)
• Immigrant share largest in Montgomery and
Prince George’s
– One of three workers in Montgomery is immigrant (36%)
– One of four workers in Prince George’s (24%)
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Large Diversity among Immigrant
Workers
• 29% of immigrant workers are Hispanic in
Maryland versus 49% nationally
• Asian (28%) and Black (25%) shares are
higher than nationally
• No country accounts for more than 10% of
workers in Maryland
– Only 5% from Mexico versus 32% nationally
– Asia represented: East Asia and Pacific (15%), Middle East
and South Asia (12%) and Southeast Asia (4%)
– Africa and West Indies with 24% versus 9% nationally
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Many Immigrant Workers in Maryland Are
Highly Educated
• 43% of immigrant workers in Maryland have a
four-year college degree or more education
– 28% of immigrants nationally
– 36% of native-born workers in Maryland
• Large shares of immigrants from Asia and
Europe are college-educated
– Middle East and South Asia (76%)
– East Asia and Pacific (65%)
– Europe, Canada, and Australia (58%)
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Yet Large Shares of Immigrant Workers
Have Not Completed High School
• 17% of immigrant workers do not have high
school educations
– 28% of immigrants nationally
– 7% of native-born workers in Maryland
• About half of Mexican and Central American
immigrants without high school educations
– Central America and Spanish-speaking Caribbean (53%)
– Mexico (47%)
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Mexican, Central American, and Southeast Asian
Workers Are Most Likely to be Limited English
Proficient
80%
72%
70%
69%
Percent of Workers
60%
56%
50%
40%
45%
40%
38%
30%
21%
19%
20%
15%
10%
0%
Overall
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Europe,
Canada, &
Australia
Mexico
Central
America &
Spanish
Caribbean
South
America
Southeast East Asia
Asia
& Pacific
Middle
East &
South
Asia
Africa &
West
Indies
Immigrants Are Over-Represented in
Higher- and Lower-Skilled Occupations
• Immigrants are larger shares of high-skilled
workers than their share of all workers (15%)
– More than one of four scientists (27%) is an immigrant
– One of five health care professionals (21%)
– One of five mathematicians and computer specialists (19%)
• Over-represented in lower-skilled occupations
too
– One of three building and maintenance workers (32%)
– One of four construction workers (25%)
– One of five food preparers and servers (23%)
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Immigrant Earnings Increase with Education
but Native-Foreign Gap Remains
Median personal earnings, 2005
Native-born Workers
$60,000
Immigrant Workers
$50,000
$33,000
$28,000
$25,000
$21,000
Less than high school
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High school/equivalent or
some college
Four-year college or higher
LEP Workers Earn Less than English
Proficient Workers and Gap Increases with
Education
Median personal earnings, 2005
English Proficient Immigrant Workers
$55,000
Limited English Proficient Immigrant Workers
$40,000
$30,000
$24,000
$24,000
$20,000
Less than high school
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High school/equivalent or
some college
Four-year college or higher
Conclusions
• Immigrants accounted for over half of growth of Maryland
labor force and trend likely to continue
• MD immigrant workforce is diverse and better educated than
immigrant workforce nationally
• Yet a significant share of immigrant workers are lower-skilled
and LEP
• Immigrants are overrepresented in high- and low-skilled
occupations
• Earnings go up with education, English, and time in the United
States
• ESL and adult education needs likely to increase in the future
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Children of Immigrants
Preliminary Findings
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Children of Immigrants in Maryland
Growing Rapidly
• Number of children of immigrants doubled
between 1990 and 2006
– Slightly higher growth rate in Maryland versus nationally
(110% versus 90%)
– Below growth rates of other states: North Carolina (394%) and
Georgia (372%)
• One of five children in Maryland has immigrant
parents (19% versus 23% nationally)
• Two-thirds of children of immigrants live in
Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
Most Children of Immigrants Are U.S.
Citizens but Many Have Noncitizen Parents
• 84% of children are U.S. citizens
– 80% born in the United States
• 23% of citizen children have noncitizen
parents
– Larger shares of children with Mexican (55%) and Central
American origin (46%) in mixed-status families
– Smaller shares with European (11%) and Southeast Asian
origin (12%) in mixed-status families
Children of Immigrants Less Likely to Be
Poor but More Likely to Be Low-Income
• Lower poverty rate for children of immigrants
than children of natives (7% versus 9%)
• Children of immigrants more likely to be in
low-income families
– 27% of children of immigrants with incomes below twice
poverty level versus 24% of children of natives
– Children with Mexican (54%) and Central American
parents most likely to be low-income (44%)
– Children with European (11%) and East Asian parents least
likely (15%)
Family Incomes and Homeownership Rates Are
Comparable for Immigrant and Native Families
• $72,000, median family income of children of
immigrants, versus $78,000 for children of natives
• Family income varies by origin
– $49,000 for children with Mexican and Central American
parents
– $91,000 for children with East Asian, Middle Eastern, and
South Asian parents
• 69% of children of immigrants in families that owned
their homes versus 71 percent of children of natives
Low-Income Children of Immigrants
Are Less Likely to Use Public Benefits
40%
Children of Immigrants
35%
35%
Children of Natives
Percent of Children
30%
25%
20%
15%
11%
10%
10%
6%
3%
5%
2%
0%
Food Stamps
Welfare Income
SSI
Immigrant Families Have Very High
Work Effort
• 95% of children of immigrants in working
families versus 91% of children of natives
• Immigrant-versus-native difference larger
among low-income families
– 87% of children of immigrants in working families versus
68% of children of natives
– Almost all children with Mexican (99%) and South
American (96%) parents in working families
Many Children of Immigrants Face
Risks for Adverse School Outcomes
• Children of immigrants are less likely to attend early
education settings than children of natives (57%
versus 63%)
– Racial and ethnic disparities in preschool enrollment
– Research indicates that disparities in skills at school entry increase as
children move through school
• Disadvantaged children of immigrants at higher risk
for poor academic performance
– Low-income families
– Parents with lower educational attainment
– LEP parents and linguistically isolated households
Conclusions
• Children of immigrants are key to population growth
in the state
– Slow growth of children of natives and decline in number
of children of natives age 0 to 5
• Impact of immigration mostly limited to Maryland
counties in Washington, D.C. Metro
– Montgomery, Price George’s, and Howard Counties
– But other jurisdictions likely to be impacted in the future
• Impact unlikely to be geographically limited as
children of immigrants join the workforce
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Conclusions Continued
• Children of immigrants are less likely to be poor than
children of natives
– But economic hardship when parents are recent immigrants,
and lack education and English skills
• Immigration has increased racial and ethnic and
linguistic diversity of public schools
– White students no longer a majority in Maryland
• Overall children of immigrants do not appear
disadvantaged vis-à-vis children of natives
– But many children face risks for adverse academic outcomes
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Policy Recommendations
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Work and Family Supports
• Education and job skills training that lead to higherskilled and higher-paying jobs are needed
– There is a need for both ESL and adult education
– Employers should be part of a coordinated policy response
– Assistance with obtaining U.S. credentials
• Assistance with obtaining U.S. citizenship
• Improving access to other supports can help families
– Affordable child care, financial services, and driver’s licenses
• Outreach to eligible children and families for TANF,
SNAP, and other public services is needed
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Children’s Development
• Early education is essential for development and
school readiness of disadvantaged children
• Increasing participation in child care and early
education programs is needed
– Improving access to affordable and culturally sensitive
child care and early education programs
– Outreach to eligible children for publicly funded child care
and subsidies for higher quality center-based care
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Impact on Public Schools
• Population of disadvantaged Hispanic, Black, and
LEP students likely to increase in the future
– Improving effectiveness of English Language Learning
programs is critical
• Tracking progress on both language learning and
subject matter content
• Increasing professional development and support for
teachers
– After-school programs for LEP and other students at risk of
dropping out can help keep them in school
– Improving parental literacy and involvement is also needed
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