The Life Course of the New Immigrant Middle Class: Boom or Bust?

Laszlo J. Kulcsar, Kansas State University
Cristina Bradatan, Texas Tech University

Little of the migration literature focuses on highly skilled migrants as it is usually assumed that they have few problems in integration. However, the recent economic crisis had a profound effect on their job perspectives, possibly altering their life course trajectory. Using the New Immigrant Survey, we develop a life course model of highly skilled immigrants, based on age, education, family status, region of origin, race and type of entry (visa). We will use cluster analysis to determine whether education is the main factor that influences migrants’ level of integration and/or if other factors play an important role, and see general patterns of the life course trajectory in this group, followed by additional analysis on various socioeconomic characteristics. As the second round of interviews from the NIS occurred between June 2007 – December 2009, we are able to capture the effects of the economic crisis as well.