PREDICTORS OF ECONOMIC-STATUS OF SOUTHEAST-ASIAN REFUGEES - IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

Predictors of the economic status of Southeast Asian refugees in California were investigated using data from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing Public Use Microdata Sample, which is a 1 percent stratified random sample of California residents. Three indicators of economic status were examined: employment status, public assistance use, and household income. A regression model consisting of 18 independent variables yielded a 20 percent improvement in prediction of employment status and a 6 percent improvement in prediction of public assistance use and explained 37 percent of the variance in household income. The most important predictors of Southeast Asian refugees' economic status were education, citizenship, and ethnicity. The results suggest several implications for improving Southeast Asian refugees' economic status. Specific recommendations for resettlement policies, programs, and practices are discussed.