Job Transition Patterns among Recent Unskilled Chinese Immigrants in the United States

Miao David Chunyu, Brown University

I examine job transition patterns among recent unskilled Chinese immigrants in the U.S., using a new dataset from the Chinese International Migration Project. This research finds that although these immigrants tend to concentrate in a few select ethnic niches and do not achieve much upward mobility in occupational status, they still experience significant job transitions over time; and these transitions are often accompanied by geographic mobility into new destinations. Event history analyses of repeated events reveal systematic patterns of job transitions among these immigrants, which are determined by individual demographic characteristics, U.S. experience, and earning incentive. Job transition rates also vary significantly between different sectors. Research finding also points to increasing economic opportunities in the new destination areas, especially in recent years. The exorbitant immigration cost encountered by the undocumented immigrants constitutes another layer of driving force behind their constant search for better jobs.