Hmong Population Research Project

The Economic Status of the Hmong:

Evidence from the 1990 U.S. CensusFaculty Forum Presentation

14 November 2001

Hmong Population Research Project

Supported by the UWEC Office of University Research:

Faculty/Student Research Collaboration grants

TRIP grant

Summer Extramural Grant Development Program

Hmong Population Research Project

Wayne Carroll, Economics

Tua Lor

Elina Camane

Hmong Population Research Project

“The New Immigrants”

• Immigrants and refugees from countries with living standards very different from the U.S. have made up a larger share of immigration in recent decades.

• Assimilation is more difficult for these “New Immigrants” than for immigrants from Europe and many other regions.

• Hmong immigrants epitomize the “New Immigrants.”

U.S. Census Data on the Hmong

• 1980 – According to the Census Bureau, the nation’s Hmong population was 5,204.

• 1990 – Detailed information on the Hmong are available.

• 2000 – Data on Hmong populations have been released. Other detailed information will be released next fall.

Three Census sources

• 100% counts (“short form”) – provide the most accurate data on population, race, household structure, and homes.

• Tabulations from the “long form” – detailed tables based on a one-sixth sample of the population.

• Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) – detailed data from the “long form” at the individual level, providing a 5% sample of the population.

The 1990 Census question on “race”:

Hmong Population Growth

Hmong Population Growth

Other11%

California52%

Minnesota19%

Wisconsin18%

1990U.S. Hmong population:

90,082

Hmong Population Growth

Other11%

California52%

Minnesota19%

Wisconsin18%

California38%

Other17%

Wisconsin20%

Minnesota25%

1990U.S. Hmong population:

90,082

2000U.S. Hmong population:

169,428

Population Growth by State

1990 2000

California 46,892 65,095

Minnesota 16,833 41,800

Wisconsin 16,373 33,791

North Carolina 708 7,093

Michigan 2,257 5,383

Colorado 1,202 3,000

Oregon 438 2,101

Georgia 320 1,468

Washington 741 1,294

Massachusetts 248 1,127

U.S. Total 90,082 169,428

A Tale of a Few Cities1990 2000

Fresno, CA 18,321 22,456

Twin Cities 16,435 40,606

Merced, CA 6,458 6,148

Sacramento, CA 5,673 16,261

Stockton, CA 4,628 5,653

Milwaukee metro 3,404 8,078

Appleton metro 2,157 4,741

Wausau 1,968 4,453

La Crosse 1,933 2,282

Eau Claire 1,601 1,920

Green Bay 1,410 2,957

Economic Status

Economic status: Income Labor force participation Employment status Occupation

depends on: Education English fluency Years in U.S. Age? Gender?

Educational attainment

• In 1990 about 50% of Hmong adults reported that they had no education.

• About 31% of Hmong adults reported in 1990 that they had at least a high-school education, compared with 75% in the general population.

English language skills

A household is “linguistically isolated” if no adult in the household speaks English “very well.”

In 1990 almost 64% of Hmong households were linguistically isolated.

Year of entry to the U.S.(based on the 1990 Census)

Before 1975 0.57%

1975 - 1979 21%

1980 - 1981 27%

1982 - 1984 7%

1985 - 1986 9%

1987 - 1990 36%

Economic Status

Economic status: Income Labor force participation Employment status Occupation

depends on: Education English fluency Years in U.S. Age? Gender?

Median household income in 1989

Hmong General population

California $15,978 $35,798

Minnesota $11,934 $30,909

Wisconsin $10,767 $29,442

Income distribution in 1989: Hmong vs. general population

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

less than

$5,000

$5,000-

$9,999

$10,000-

$14,999

$15,000-

$24,999

$25,000-

$34,999

$35,000-

$49,999

$50,000-

$74,999

$75,000-

$99,999

$100,000

or more

General Population

Hmong Population

Sources of income in 1989

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

wages and salaries public assistance other income

CA

MN

WI

Determinants of earnings

Young workers (age<40)(Mean earnings = $9,348)• Age: One year adds

$652***• Year of entry: one year

adds $169*• Education: one year adds

$234***• Gender and language not

significant

Determinants of earningsYoung workers (age<40)(Mean earnings = $9,348)• Age:

One year adds $652***• Year of entry:

One year adds $169*• Education:

One year adds $234***• Gender and language

not significant.

Old workers (age>40)(Mean earnings = $11,741)• Year of entry:

One year adds $430*• Gender:

Men earn $3,305*** more than women on average.

• Age, education, and language are not significant.

Labor force participation rates in 1990

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

16-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75+

Hmong male

Hmong female

male

female

Determinants of labor force participation

The likelihood that a Hmong adult was in the labor force in 1990 was higher for:

• men than women

• those who had been in the U.S. longer

• those who had more education

• those who spoke English well

Determinants of labor force participation

In labor force Not in labor force

Gender 67% are men 44% are men

Average year of entry to U.S.

1980 1982

Average years of schooling

9.4 5.6

Speak English well

70% 38%

Employment status in 1990

The unemployment rate equals the percentage of the labor force who are unemployed.

• Unemployment rate among Hmong men: 20%

• Unemployment rate among Hmong women: 22%

• Unemployment rate for general population: 5.4%

Determinants of employment status

• The probability of being unemployed was smaller if a worker had been in the U.S. longer.

• Age, gender, educational attainment, and English fluency were not significant.

Most common occupations in 1990

Men:

9% Cleaning and building service occupations

8% Machine operators and tenders

7% Fabricators, assemblers, hand working

4% Cooks

4% Other precision production

3% Writers, artists, entertainers, athletes

3% Other food service

Most common occupations in 1990

Men:

9% Cleaning and building service occupations

8% Machine operators and tenders

7% Fabricators, assemblers, hand working

4% Cooks

4% Other precision production

3% Writers, artists, entertainers, athletes

3% Other food service

Women:10% Fabricators, assemblers,

hand working occupations9% Textile, apparel, and furnishings machine operators8% Administrative support positions6% Other precision production 5% Cooks5% Cashiers5% Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

Future research

Detailed economic and demographic data from the 2000 Census will be released next year, making possible:

• Comparisons of data from 1990 and 2000.

• Analysis of the economic progress and assimilation of the Hmong in the U.S. during the last ten years.

Expected findings in 2000 Census data

• Rapid growth among younger Hmong adults in: Income Labor force participation Employment Educational attainment

• Movement into higher-paying occupations• Hmong still lagging significantly behind the

general population in economic status