Refugee Income after Resettlement

Background

Refugees resettled in the United States are granted the immediate right to work in an effort to ease their integration. Yet, refugee economic mobility and income remain low compared to other immigrant groups. This is often related to intersecting challenges refugees face while integrating into a new country, including socio-economic barriers. In the United States, community-level resettlement agencies support immigrants, yet the Office of Refugee Resettlement (O.R.R.) determines the bulk of their funding. Refugees resettled between 2017 and 2022 faced unique challenges, including a shifting political climate and a global pandemic. An informational gap exists in the literature regarding how refugee income and livelihoods were impacted during this timeframe. This study utilizes O.R.R. data to examine the relationship between income and education level among refugees resettled in the United States between 2017 and 2022, to answer the question: What is the relationship between income and education level among refugees resettled in the United States?

Methods

Data on refugees were obtained from the 2022 Annual Survey of Refugees (ASR), a nationally representative study examining the outcomes of refugees resettled in the United States within the first five years of their resettlement. A sample of refugees (N = 1,538) was selected from a larger dataset, reflecting the number of refugees who were employed and reported an income. The dependent variable was income, measured by respondents’ hourly wage. The independent variable was education level, which ranged from no formal education to graduate-level education. A multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze the relationship between income and education level while controlling for socio-demographic factors.

Results

The total sample consisted of 52% male participants. The mean age was 37.96 (SD = 13.67). Thirty-nine percent of respondents had lived in a refugee camp, 12% reported having no formal schooling, and 10.8% reported having a bachelor's degree. The multiple linear regression showed that gender (b = 2.305, p < .001), race (b = 0.502, p < .001), education (b = 0.618, p < .001), and living in a refugee camp (b = 2.086, p < .001) all had a significant relationship with income, controlling for all other variables.

Conclusions

These findings support existing literature advocating for specialized mentorship and job readiness training for recently resettled refugees. Income is positively associated with higher levels of education, and gender is also a significant factor in refugee income outcomes. Understanding the factors related to refugee income post-resettlement can help inform targeted services, program development, and future policy implementation, particularly in workforce development. While not all refugees seek employment after resettlement, making services available to bridge income gaps between different racial groups could improve income outcomes and potentially impact refugee well-being. Further research is needed to investigate the nature of these relationships and other factors contributing to lower income levels among refugees compared to other immigrant groups in the United States. Finally, the role of social workers in tailoring culturally responsive practice and policy solutions is critical to the successful integration of refugees.