Abstract

ABSTRACT:

This article presents results from a pilot study of a new immigrant destination in southwest Kansas. Drawing on the concept of occupational channeling, new destination formation and immigrant integration in southwest Kansas are placed into a broader context of binational labor market integration between origin countries and the United States. Two hypotheses are tested empirically: (1) whether occupational channeling between the origin country and US labor markets explains new destination formation in southwest Kansas; and (2) whether occupational channeling affects immigrant economic integration in southwest Kansas. Results indicate the presence of a strong occupational channel linking the tertiary sectors of origin countries and southwest Kansas. There is also evidence of a "stairstep" pattern of migration into the US labor market in which migrants move from primary to secondary sectors and from secondary to tertiary sectors as they transition from the origin country to the US labor market. Finally, there is a relatively modest, but positive, effect of occupational channeling on monthly income in the US, but this effect is only evident in the most current job in the US; channeling does not appear to improve monthly wages for the first job in the US.

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