Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Economics

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

America’s population is constantly growing not just in numbers, but in diversity as well. Immigration, while a controversial issue, is a topic that affects every American. While there have been a multitude of studies done about migrants, few have looked at region of origin as a primary factor in economic decisions regarding migration. How much impact does their home country have on their occupational choices? Using microdata from the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2001 to 2016, this multinomial logit regression equation calculates the impact of certain regions of origin on choosing jobs in Manufacturing, Construction, Professional Services, and Other Services. While some of the results line up with expectations or typecasts, such as women being less likely to work in construction, other outcomes are less intuitive. Not only does this model help us to understand certain stereotypes better, but it has immigration policy implications. Occupational distinctions seen in the results could be generated in the region of origin or from barriers present in America. The conclusion encourages further research in the area.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Dr. Dan Myers, Dr. Michelle Trawick

Disciplines

Econometrics | Economics | Labor Economics

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