Objective and Subjective Variables Behind the Working Conditions of Tertiary-Educated Mexican Migrants in the USA

Abstract

This paper contributes to the field of study of skilled migration by employing a different database from the one commonly used to study labor-market placement; our database was collected through an online questionnaire answered by Mexican migrants with tertiary education living in the USA. Through analysis of a set of both objective and subjective variables (not available in any other official database), we developed a statistical profile of their working and income conditions (high, medium, and low), and we corroborate much of what is in the literature, that is, that the concept of human capital is insufficient for analyzing the job outcomes of tertiary-educated migrants. We find the variables that increase the probability of tertiary-educated migrants' income falling within the high-income stratum for both men and women are having a command of English and having a job offer prior to arrival in the USA. Other variables matter for men but not for women (and vice versa); for example, confidence in studies undertaken in Mexico mattered only for men. While being a professional or an entrepreneur/manager increases the probability of high income for both men and women, men excel in the market with STEM and econ-business degrees while women excel only in econ-business. For both men and women's income, feeling discriminated against because of having a non-native accent decreases the likelihood of being in the high-income bracket. The perception of ethnic discrimination, however, affects only women's income in a similar way.

Co-production for the integration of migrant human capital into the decent work

“…From the studied reality it is possible to confirm that, although possessing a legal status does necessarily guarantee improved employability [ 43 , 45 ], migrants who do not have the corresponding documentation tend to be more exposed to various factors of vulnerability of their rights [ 9 , 55 ], such as labour exploitation, harassment, or sexual harassment [ 3 , 20 ]. Once the legal barrier has been overcome, a multidisciplinary nature of issues increases–such as basic needs, employability, access to the formal labour market and others—the scope of the demand of the target audience, which cannot be carried out by a single organisation alone.…”

“…Likewise, new human capital adaptation depends on the host culture, in creating positive relations between migrants and the local population, with the objective of ensuring the optimal development of their potential [ 35 ]. Conversely, the private sector can also perpetuate a circle of limiting the potential contribution of migration to sustainable development, particularly when prejudice affects access to higher-income jobs that migrants and refugees can opt for [ 44 , 45 ], due to their migratory status and consequent vulnerability.…”

“…Migrants are often positioned at the bottom of social pyramids with an increased vulnerability [ 42 ] and inserted into a highly informal labour structure [ 43 ]. Besides, discrimination against migrants can negatively affect the probability of accessing higher-income jobs, as their skills are less valued and rewarded [ 44 , 45 ]. Although staying in the host country facilitates cultural integration over time and may increase migrants’ education quality, it does not always neutralise the negative impact of the economic gap [ 46 , 47 ].…”