The Occupational Mobility of Mexican Migrants in the United States

In this paper we analyze the pre-to-post migration occupational mobility of Mexican migrants to the U.S. using occupation and migration histories from the Mexican Migration Project. We compare the first occupation in the U.S. to the last occupation in Mexico, and the occupation in the last year spent in the U.S. to the occupation in the first year, by sex, using multinomial logistic regression models. The multivariate analyses account for individual, migration, and context characteristics. Our findings show rigidities in occupational structure for migrants and low opportunities for mobility after migration. Most men experience lateral mobility upon arriving to the U.S., and are unlikely to change occupations afterwards. Most women enter lower-status occupations or exit the labor force upon arrival, especially if highly educated or skilled. Undocumented men and university educated women are more likely to experience downward mobility. These patterns remain even after accounting for migrant networks.