Employment Retention, Area of Origin and Type of Social Support among Refugees in the Chicago Area

This article examines the impact of various sociodemographic variables on refugees’ employment propensities in the greater metropolitan Chicago area. It extends existing research and knowledge of forced migrants’ labor force activities by exploring the impact of region of origin and refugees’ access to support systems and organizations on employment retention and job maintenance. The analysis shows that refugees’ labor force participation patterns and experiences are influenced differentially both by their background characteristics and by their exposure to U.S. assistance systems. Southeast Asian asylees are less successful in maintaining stable job placements when compared to their more socially advantaged and often more suitably placed Eastern European counterparts. Refugee self-help initiatives require greater empowerment and increased acceptance and status to assist other refugees in adjusting to the host society.