International Family Migration and Labormarket Outcomes of Immigrant Couples : Do Types of Migration Matter?

Abstract

This study examines whether immigrant womens labor-market outcomes relative to those of immigrant men vary across different types of family migration. Using matched pairs of husbands and wives from the 2000 U.S Census, this study investigates the impact of international family migration on immigrant women's employment status and hourly earnings. The results show that, for women, wife-initiated migration is positively associated with employment, compared to husband-initiated and simultaneous migration. In relation to the moderating effect of education, for wife-initiated migration, women are also more likely to be employed as education rises. Thus, for wife-initiated migration, the gender gap diminishes substantially with increasing education. Consistent with the analyses of employment status, for women, wife-initiated migration is positively associated with higher hourly earnings. The moderating effect of education also shows that, for women, the positive association between wife-initiated migration and hourly earnings increases with education.