Annual ORR Reports to Congress - 2000
Population Profile
This section characterizes the refugee, Amerasian, and entrant population (hereafter, referred to as refugees unless noted otherwise) in the U.S., focusing primarily on those who have entered since 1983. All tables referenced by number appear in Appendix A.[1]
Nationality of U.S. Refugee Population
Southeast Asians[2] remain the largest refugee group among recent arrivals. Of the approximately 1,729,000 refugees who have arrived in the United States since 1983, about 33 percent have fled from nations of Southeast Asia (refer to Table 1, Appendix A). Based on State Department figures for the period FY 1975 through FY 2000 (refer to Table 1, this section), about 53 percent have fled from nations of Southeast Asia.
Vietnamese continue to be the majority refugee group from Southeast Asia, although the ethnic composition of the entering population has become more diverse over time. About 135,000 Southeast Asians fled to America at the time of the collapse of the Saigon government in 1975. Over the next four years, large numbers of boat people escaped Southeast Asia and were admitted to the U.S. The majority of these arrivals were Vietnamese. The Vietnamese share has declined gradually, however, especially since persons from Cambodia and Laos began to arrive in larger numbers in 1980.
For the period FY 1983 through FY 2000, Vietnamese refugees made up 71 percent of refugee arrivals from Southeast Asia, while 18 percent were from Laos, and 11 percent were from Cambodia. Parenthetically, slightly less than half the refugees from Laos are from the highlands of that nation and are culturally distinct from the Lowland Lao. More recently, refugees from outside of Southeast Asia have arrived in larger numbers. Between FY 1988 and FY 2000, refugees arriving from the former Soviet Union have surpassed refugees arriving from Vietnam every year except FY 1991. More recently, in FY 1995, refugees from the former Soviet Union and Vietnam were surpassed by refugees arriving from Cuba. Since FY 1998, refugees from the former Yugoslavia eclipsed all other refugee groups.
Since ORR began keeping records of refugee arrivals in 1983, refugees from five countries have represented 70 percent of all arrivals. The largest share of refugees were evenly split between the former Soviet Union and Vietnam (26 percent each), followed by Cuba (10 percent), the former Yugoslavia (8 percent), and Laos (7 percent).
For FY 2000, refugees from five countries represented 75 percent of all arrivals. The former Yugoslavia was in first place with 25 percent, followed by followed by Cuba with 23 percent, the former Soviet Union with 16 percent, Somalia with 7 percent, and Iran with 6 percent.
Geographic Location of Refugees
Southeast Asian refugees have settled in every State and one territory of the United States (refer to Table 2, Appendix A). From FY 1983 through FY2000, more Southeast Asians initially resettled in California than any other State (35 percent). For the same period, more non-Southeast Asians resettled in New York than any other State (19 percent).
Table 1: Summary of Refugee Admissions for FY 1975 - FY 2000 |
||||||
| Fiscal |
Africa |
East Asia |
Eastern Europe |
Soviet Union |
Latin America |
Near East Asia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1975 |
0 |
135,000 |
1,947 |
6,211 |
3,000 |
0 |
1976 |
0 |
15,000 |
1,756 |
7,450 |
3,000 |
0 |
1977 |
0 |
7,000 |
1,755 |
8,191 |
3,000 |
0 |
1978 |
0 |
20,574 |
2,245 |
10,688 |
3,000 |
0 |
1979 |
0 |
76,521 |
3,393 |
24,449 |
7,000 |
0 |
1980 |
955 |
163,799 |
5,025 |
28,444 |
6,662 |
2,231 |
1981 |
2119 |
131,139 |
6,704 |
13,444 |
2,017 |
3,829 |
1982 |
3326 |
73,522 |
10,780 |
2,756 |
602 |
6,269 |
Subtotal |
6,400 |
622,555 |
33,605 |
101,633 |
28,281 |
12,429 |
|
||||||
1983-2000 Subtotal |
96,153 |
641,975 |
226,374 |
453.283 |
54,199 |
106,597 |
|
||||||
1975-2000 Grand Total |
102,553 |
1,264,530 |
259,979 |
554,916 |
82,480 |
118,926 |
Note: An additional 8,214 refugees were admitted between FY 1988 and FY 1993 under the Private Sector Initiative (PSI) for a total of 2,325,058.
Source: Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S Department of State
California and New York have resettled the greatest number of refugees to date (refer to Table 3, Appendix A). California received the most refugees from FY 1983 through FY 1994, followed by New York, except for FY 1984 and 1985 when it fell to third behind Texas. Since FY 1995, however, Florida has received the most refugees, followed by California (except for FY 1999 when New York was second). In FY 1997 New York received the most refugees, followed California and Florida.
For FY 2000, the majority of arrivals initially resettled in the five States as in previous years. The majority of Florida arrivals entered from Cuba (82 percent), followed by refugees from the former Yugoslavia (8 percent). Forty-three percent of the refugees initially resettled in New York arrived from the former Soviet Union, with another 19 percent from the former Yugoslavia. The majority of California arrivals arrived from Iran (37 percent), followed by refugees from the former Soviet Union (28 percent). In Texas, refugees from the former Yugoslavia (26 percent) made up the largest proportion, followed by refugees from Cuba (13 percent). Sixty-eight percent of Washington arrivals came from the former Soviet Union, with another 12 percent from the former Yugoslavia.
Secondary Migration
The Reception and Placement program (see page 6) ensures that refugees arrive in communities with sufficient resources to meet their immediate needs and a caseworker to assist them with resettlement and orientation. Refugees need not stay in their community of initial resettlement, however, and many leave to build a new life elsewhere. A number of explanations for secondary migration by refugees have been suggested: better employment opportunities, the pull of an established ethnic community, more generous welfare benefits, better training opportunities, reunification with relatives, or a more congenial climate.
The Refugee Assistance Amendments of 1982 amended the Refugee Act of 1980 (section 412(a)(3)) directing ORR to compile and maintain data on the secondary migration of refugees within the United States. In response to this directive, ORR developed the Refugee State-of-Origin Report (ORR-11) for estimating secondary migration. Beginning with FY 1983, the principal use of the ORR-11 data has been to allocate ORR social service funds to States. The most recent compilation was September 30, 1999.
The method of estimating secondary migration is based on the first three digits of social security numbers which are assigned geographically in blocks by State. With the assistance of their sponsors, almost all arriving refugees apply for social security numbers immediately upon arrival in the United States. Therefore, the first three digits of a refugee's social security number are a good indicator of his or her initial State of residence in the U.S. If a refugee currently residing in California has a social security number assigned in Nevada, for example, the method treats that person as having moved from initial resettlement in Nevada to current residence in California.
States participating in the refugee program provide ORR-11 data for refugees currently receiving assistance or services in their programs (for the most recent three-year period). Compilation of ORR-11 data by all reporting States results in a 51 X 51 State matrix which contains information on migration from each State to every other State. In effect, State A's report shows how many people have migrated in from other States, as well as how many people who were initially placed in State A are currently there. The reports from every other State, when combined, show how many people have left State A.
Available information indicates that much of the secondary migration of refugees takes place during their first few years after arrival and that the refugee population becomes relatively stabilized in its geographic distribution after an initial adjustment period. The matrix of all possible pairs of in- and out-migration between States can be summarized into total in- and out-migration figures reported for each State. Examination of the detailed State-by-State matrix showed several migration patterns: a strong movement in and out of California, Florida, and Texas; a strong movement into Minnesota and Washington; a strong movement out of New Jersey, New York, and Virginia; and some population exchange between contiguous or geographically close States.
Almost every State experienced both gains and losses through secondary migration. Twenty States gained additional refugees through secondary migration. California recorded the largest overall migration (4,112), recording both the largest number of in-migrants (2,050) as well as the largest number of out-migrants (2,062). Texas placed second in overall migrations, recording 1,001 in-migrants and 1,825 out-migrants.
After California, Minnesota reported the largest number of in-migrants (1,881), but few out-migrants (350). Washington (1,829 and 472, respectively) reported the same pattern. Florida reported both strong in-migration (1,586) as well as strong out-migration (956). Texas (1,001), Georgia (995), and North Carolina (922) also recorded strong in-migration.
Texas (1,825) placed second to California in the number of out-migrants. New York placed second (1,481), followed by New Jersey (1,304), Virginia (1,036), Florida (956), and Arizona (866).
Minnesota (1,551) and Washington (1,357) logged the largest net in-migration while New York (1,426) and New Jersey (1,304) reported the largest net out-migration.
Economic Adjustment
Overview
The Refugee Act of 1980, and the Refugee Assistance amendments enacted in 1982 and 1986, stress the achievement of employment and economic self‑sufficiency by refugees as soon as possible after their arrival in the United States. This involves a balance among three elements: the employment potential of refugees, including their education, skills, English language competence, and health; the needs that they as individuals and members of families have for financial resources, whether for food, housing, or child‑rearing; and the economic environment in which they settle, including the availability of jobs, housing, and other local resources. Past refugee surveys have found that the economic adjustment of refugees to the U.S. has been a successful and generally rapid process. During 2000, the process of refugee economic adjustment appears to have followed patterns similar to those of recent years, as discussed below.
Current Employment Status of Refugees
In 2000, ORR completed its 29th survey of a national sample of refugees selected from the population of all refugees who arrived between May 1, 1995 and April 30, 2000. The survey collected basic biographical information, as well as data on (1) education, (2) English language training, (3) job training, and (4) labor force participation of each adult member of the household. The survey also collected family housing, income, and welfare utilization data.
The 2000 survey indicates that refugees found employment at a higher rate than the general population of the U.S., and that they improve their economic circumstances over time. Employment rates have gone up and unemployment rates have gone down seven consecutive years in a row. To evaluate the economic progress of refugees, ORR used three common measures of employment effort: the employment‑to‑population ratio (or EPR), the labor force participation rate, and the unemployment rate.
Table 1 in this section presents the EPR[3] in October 2000 for refugees 16 and over in the five-year population. The survey found that the overall.
TABLE 1 - Employment Status of Refugees by Year of Arrival and Sex |
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| |
Employment Rate (EPR) |
Labor Force Participation Rate |
Unemployment Rate |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of Arrival |
All |
Male |
Female |
All |
Male |
Female |
All |
Male |
Female |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 |
63.8% |
68.6% |
58.4% |
67.5% |
70.8% |
63.7% |
5.4% |
3.1% |
8.2% |
1999 |
64.2 |
72.2 |
55.6 |
67.8 |
76.2 |
58.7 |
5.3 |
5.2 |
5.4 |
1998 |
72.0 |
74.1 |
69.8 |
74.4 |
76.2 |
72.5 |
3.2 |
2.7 |
3.7 |
1997 |
69.7 |
76.6 |
63.5 |
71.5 |
78.7 |
65.3 |
2.6 |
2.7 |
2.6 |
1996 |
65.6 |
69.6 |
61.3 |
67.6 |
72.2 |
62.5 |
2.9 |
3.5 |
2.0 |
1995 |
68.8 |
71.8 |
65.4 |
70.4 |
72.3 |
68.4 |
2.3 |
0.6 |
4.3 |
Total Sample |
67.8 |
72.5 |
62.8 |
70.1 |
74.8 |
65.3 |
3.4 |
3.0 |
3.8 |
U.S. Rates |
64.5 |
71.8 |
57.7 |
67.2 |
74.7 |
60.2 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
4.1 |
Note: As of October 2000. Not seasonally adjusted. Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and Refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1995-2000. U.S. rates are for 2000.
EPR for all refugees was 68 percent (73 percent for males and 63 percent for females). By contrast, the EPR for the U.S. population was only 65
[LG1] percent in 2000. In addition, refugee employment appears to increase with each year of residence in the U.S. The EPR of refugees who arrived in 1995 reached 69 percent—72 percent for males and 65 percent for females.
From the 2000 data, ORR also calculated the labor force participation rate
[4] for refugees 16 and over in the five-year population (refer to Table 1). This rate is closely related to the EPR, except it includes individuals looking for work as well as those currently employed. In October 2000, the overall labor force participation rate for the five-year refugee population was 70 percent (75 percent for males and 65 percent for females). Like the EPR, the labor force participation rate of refugees is higher than that of the U.S. population (67 percent in 2000). The overall labor force participation rate for the 2000 arrivals was 68 percent. It also reached 74 percent for refugees who arrived in 1998.
A comparison of employment measures for each year (Table 1) indicates that for 2000 arrivals, the EPR was 64 percent and the labor force participation rate was 68 percent—a difference of four percent. For FY 1995 arrivals, the difference between the EPR and labor force participation dropped to one percent. For all survey respondents, the difference between the EPR and labor force participation rate diminishes with time. Similarly, the unemployment rate
[5] has trended downward over succeeding surveys. The survey found that the unemployment rate for all refugees was 3.4 percent (three percent for males and four percent for females). The unemployment rate was five percent for 2000 arrivals and two percent for FY 1995 arrivals. The overall unemployment rate
TABLE 2 – Employment Status of Refugees by Survey Year and Sex |
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| Year |
Employment Rate (EPR) |
Labor Force Participation Rate |
Unemployment Rate |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey Administered |
All |
Male |
Female |
All |
Male |
Female |
All |
Male |
Female |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 Survey |
67.8% |
72.5% |
62.8% |
70.1% |
74.8% |
65.3% |
3.4% |
3.0% |
3.8% |
U.S. Rates |
64.5 |
71.8 |
57.7 |
67.2 |
74.7 |
60.2 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
4.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1999 Survey |
66.8 |
72.3 |
61.1 |
68.9 |
74.4 |
63.3 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
3.4 |
U.S. Rates |
64.3 |
71.6 |
57.4 |
67.1 |
74.7 |
60.0 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
|
|
|
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