Reasons for Not Looking for Work

The survey also asked refugees age 16 and over who were not employed why they were not looking for employment. Attending school accounted for the largest proportion (43 percent) with an associated median age of 18. Poor health accounted for another 29 percent, with an associated median age of 55. Age accounted for the third largest proportion (16 percent) with an associated median age of 69.

Child Care/Other Family Responsibilities was the next highest group at 12 percent. Limited English accounted for another 10 percent with an associated median age of 59. Furthermore, those citing Child Care/Other Family Responsibilities, 74 percent were under the age of 40, and 100 percent were female. Finally, a combination of Couldn’t Find Job and other answers (most often associated with poor health and age) accounted for an additional 3 percent.

Figure 2 . Reason not looking for Work for Refugees 16 years and over: 2004 Survey.

Note: Limited to refugees who did not work in previous year and are not looking for work at the time of the survey.

“Couldn’t find job” represents survey value, “Believes no work available/couldn’t find job”

Discouraged workers (persons who believed no work was available or who indicated they could not find a job) made up a relatively small fraction of refugees who did not work, with less than two percent of respondents selecting this reason. Over 50 percent of non-working refugees gave more than one reason for not looking for work.

Due to the diversity within the sampled populations, these findings vary by country of origin. For example, nearly a quarter (24 percent) of the Soviet refugees who did not work in the year prior to the survey were age 65 years and older, generally considered retirement age in the U.S.

Table II-5 Work Experience of Adult Refugees in the 2004 Survey by Year of Arrival
	Number	Percent Distribution
Total Refugees 16 years and older	5137	100.0
Worked*	3775	73.5
50-52 weeks	2353	45.8
Full-time	2612	69.2**
Average weeks worked	41.6
2004 arrivals	196	100.0
Worked	106	54.1
50-52 weeks	4	2.1
Full-time	53	49.6**
Average weeks worked	21.0
2003 arrivals	432	100.0
Worked	274	63.3
50-52 weeks**	87	20.1
Full-time	177	64.6**
Average weeks worked	30.6
2002 arrivals	640	100.0
Worked	429	67.0
50-52 weeks	252	39.3
Full-time	294	68.6**
Average weeks worked	41.4
2001 arrivals	1681	100.0
Worked	1372	81.6
50-52 weeks	964	57.3
Full-time	883	64.3**
Average weeks worked	43.7
2000 arrivals	1196	100.0
Worked	870	72.7
50-52 weeks	610	51.0
Full-time	663	76.2**
Average weeks worked	44.6
1999 arrivals	991	100.0
Worked	724	73.1
50-52 weeks	436	44.1
Full-time	542	74.9**
Average weeks worked	40.6
*Refugees who worked in the year prior to the survey. **Percentage of refugees who worked in the previous year.

Work Experience in the Previous Year

A gauge of economic adjustment that shows a longer time frame than employment status (which only relates to employment during the week prior to the survey) is work experience, which measures not only the number of weeks worked in the past year, but the usual number of hours worked in a week.

As with employment status, the proportion of refugees with some work experience in the past year tends to increase with length of time in the U.S. Table II-5 shows that only about 54 percent of refugees who arrived in 2004 had worked, compared with 63 percent of those who arrived in the previous year, virtually the same proportion as that for the U.S. population as a whole. Refugees who arrived in the three previous years recorded very high rates of employment with about 70 percent of all arrivals during these years working during the survey year.

Refugees who reported working averaged 42 weeks of work during the survey year. This is consistent with previous surveys. Workers reported an average of 38 weeks of work the year before and 43 the year before that. Refugees in the 2003 and 2004 surveys reported working full-time at a much higher rate this year, with 46 percent reporting work of 50-52 weeks in this survey, compared with 32 percent in the 2002 survey.

Elapsed Time to First Job

How soon do refugees find work after coming to the U.S.? The 2004 survey indicates that of those who have worked at all since coming to the U.S. (about 75 percent of refugees 16 years old and over in the survey), about 16 percent found work within one month of arrival, 38 percent within three months, 51 percent within six months, and 62 percent by the end of twelve months in the U.S. This represents a moderate pace of adjustment to the American job market and part of an on-going improvement for the past ten years. In the 1995 survey, for example, only 46 percent of job placements occurred in the first six months after arrival. The percentage taking more than a year to find first employment has similarly declined over the past decade. In the 2004 survey about 21 percent found their first job more than 12 months after arrival. This compares with the much longer time needed in 1995, when almost a third of job placement occurred after the first twelve months.

Figure 3 . Percent of Adult Refugees who Worked in the Year Prior to the Survey and the Average Number of Weeks Worked: 2004 Survey

Factors Affecting Employment

Achieving economic self-sufficiency depends on the employment prospects of adult refugees, which hinges on a mixture of factors including transferable skills, family size and composition (e.g., number of dependents to support), job opportunities, and the resources available in the communities in which refugees resettle. The occupational and educational skills that refugees bring with them to the U.S. also influence their prospects for self-sufficiency, as can cultural factors.

The average number of years of education for all arrivals was approximately eleven (refer to Table II-6), same as the previous survey. The level of education prior to arrival has not changed over the past decade, averaging 10 years or 11 years every year since 1991. Nevertheless, several underlying trends are also noticeable. In 1993, 24 percent of refugees in the five-year population had not earned a degree, even from primary school, at the time of arrival. By the time of the 2004 survey, the proportion without a primary school degree had fallen to 14 percent. On the other hand, the 1993 survey also revealed that 19 percent of refugees had earned a college or university degree before arrival. By the time of the 2004 survey, this proportion had slipped to 13 percent. Overall, the pattern since 1993 is for stability in the overall number of years of education even as strong trends continue for more refugees with at least a basic education, but fewer refugees with a post-secondary degree.

Figure 4: Elapsed Time to First Job for Refugees Who Have Ever Worked by Survey Year.

The 2004 survey, however, revealed moderate disparities between the educational backgrounds among the six refugee groups formed from the survey respondents. The average years of education among ethnic groups ranged from a high of 12 for the Latin American population to a low of 8 for Southeast Asian population. Refugees from Southeast Asia (34 percent) and Africa (19 percent) showed the largest proportion with no formal education before arriving in the U.S. Among refugees from the former Soviet Union, this was very rare—only two percent of adult arrivals had failed to complete primary grades. Refugees from Eastern Europe (90 percent), Latin American (94 percent), and the Middle East (87 percent) had also largely completed their primary education.

Overall, 61 percent of refugees in the five-year population had completed at least a technical school or high school degree. Latin American refugees were the most advanced (72 percent), followed by refugees from the former Soviet Union (70 percent) and Middle East (64 percent). Only 28 percent from Southeast Asia and 34 percent from Africa could report a secondary or technical school degree or higher.

Overall, 14 percent of arriving refugees had completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree or other degree, such as a medical degree, prior to arrival in the U.S. Refugees from Latin American could claim the largest proportion of refugees with advanced degrees (24 percent). Only six percent from Africa and four percent from Southeast Asia could make that claim.

Many refugees continued their education after arrival in the U.S. Overall, 10 percent attended high school, nine percent attended school for an associate degree, and seven percent attended college for a bachelor’s degree or professional degree. It should be noted that even though the survey asks about years of schooling and the highest degree or certificate obtained prior to coming to the U.S., the correlation between years of schooling and degrees or certifications among different countries is not necessarily the same. Consequently, some degree of caution is necessary when interpreting education statistics.

TABLE II-6 – Education and English Proficiency Characteristics of Selected Refugee Groups
Education and Language Proficiency	Africa	Eastern Europe	Latin America	Middle East	SouthEast Asia	Former Soviet Union		All
Average Years of Education before U.S.	9.3	10.6	12.1	9.9	7.6	11.0		10.4
Highest Degree before U.S.
None	19.2%	10.0%	6.0%	13.1%	34.2%	1.6%		13.6%
Primary School	28.6	23.9	15.8	18.1	22.9	18.6		24.7
Training in Refugee Camp	0.3	0.9	0.0	0.4	0.0	1.7		0.7
Technical School	0.5	5.5	12.0	1.5	0.1	25.2		9.3
Secondary School (or High School)	27.4	39.4	34.8	52.7	23.9	30.0		37.9
University Degree (Other than Medical)	6.2	8.2	24.4	8.5	4.4	11.5		12.7
Medical Degree	0.0	1.0	0.8	0.6	0.0	1.4		0.7
Other	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.4	0.0	1.6		0.4
Attended School/University (since U.S.)	44.8	19.1	13.7	36.6	21.2	25.6		28.2
Attendance School/University (since U.S.) for degree/certificate	44.2	18.7	13.4	36.4	21.2	23.5		27.5
High School	12.3	9.8	4.3	14.5	9.9	9.5		9.8
Associates Degree	23.3	2.2	0.6	4.7	0.0	7.7		8.9
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7	5.6	2.4	15.5	11.0	4.1		6.3
Master’s/Doctorate	0.6	0.7	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.2		0.3
Professional Degree	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.9		0.3
Other	0.8	0.0	4.2	0.1	0.0	0.4		1.2
Degree Received	2.4	1.7	5.0	0.7	2.9	1.2		2.5
At Time of Arrival
Percent Speaking no English	18.9	61.9	69.8	47.1	67.4	61.7		50.4
Percent Not Speaking English Well	26.0	17.8	21.0	37.3	19.4	27.1		24.4
Percent Speaking English Well or Fluently	38.2	9.9	3.6	12.4	0.1	4.1		15.1
At Time of Survey
Percent Speaking no English	2.0	8.9	28.1	6.5	22.7	11.4		12.0
Percent Not Speaking English Well	20.7	33.6	39.3	24.8	61.2	45.4		34.2
Percent Speaking English Well or Fluently	68.3	56.0	30.4	67.6	15.9	41.7		50.2

Note: Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and Refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004. These figures refer to self-reported characteristics of refugees. Professional degree refers to a law degree or medical degree.

Table II-7 – English Proficiency and Associated EPR by Year of Arrival
Year of Arrival	Percent Speaking No English (EPR)	Percent Not Speaking English Well (EPR)	Percent Speaking English Well or Fluently (EPR)
At Time of Arrival
2004	47.6 (46.1)	29.4 (52.7)	23.0 (55.8)
2003	60.7 (50.4)	23.9 (56.6)	15.4 (65.6)
2002	67.3 (60.9)	24.6 (50.0)	8.1 (75.0)
2001	48.3 (62.4)	30.0 (79.7)	21.6 (78.4)
2000	56.9 (59.5)	24.9 (76.4)	18.2 (64.9)
1999	59.8 (52.2)	28.0 (69.0)	12.1 (63.2)
Total Sample	56.1 (57.6)	27.1 (70.3)	16.7 (70.1)
At Time of Survey
2004	13.5 (42.3)	47.4 (48.4)	39.1 (57.3)
2003	13.8 (39.0)	49.8 (54.9)	36.4 (60.9)
2002	14.3 (46.7)	43.7 (66.9)	42.0 (54.2)
2001	8.8 (47.1)	31.7 (65.9)	59.5 (77.8)
2000	16.8 (40.1)	29.5 (72.9)	53.7 (68.0)
1999	11.1 (21.0)	35.0 (62.8)	53.9 (64.4)
Total Sample	12.5 (39.3)	35.5 (64.6)	52.0 (68.7)
Note: As of October 2004. Not seasonally adjusted. Data refers to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and Refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004. These figures refer to self-reported characteristics of refugees.

The 2004 survey shows that refugees had made solid progress in learning English. Almost 50 percent of refugees in the 2004 survey reported speaking no English when they arrived in the U.S. (refer to Table II-6). At the time of arrival, majorities from Latin America (70 percent), Southeast Asia (67 percent), Eastern Europe (62 percent), and the former Soviet Union (62 percent) spoke no English. On the other hand, of the African refugees, only 19 percent spoke no English at the time of arrival.

English fluency improved considerably by the time of the survey interview, with only 12 percent of all refugees speaking no English. In addition, many other refugees could now claim fluency. Sixty-eight percent of African refugees spoke fluently by the time of the interview, followed closely by refugees from the Middle East (68 percent) and Eastern Europe (56 percent).

Many refugees, however, had failed to progress in this important skill. By the time of the interview, 28 percent of refugees from Latin America still spoke no English, followed by Southeast Asia (23 percent), the former Soviet Union (11 percent), Eastern Europe (9 percent), the Middle East (7 percent), and Africa (2 percent). Latin American refugees may have continued as monolingual speakers because a large portion of Cuban entrants reside in South Florida where English fluency is not always required for employment.

The ability to speak English is one of the most important factors influencing the economic self-sufficiency of refugees (refer to Table II-7). Approximately half (52 percent) of all refugees indicated that they spoke English well or fluently (at the time of the survey). Another 36 percent indicated that they did not speak English well, while 13 percent reported that they spoke no English at all.

There was a moderate difference in the employment rate due to speaking no English. Those speaking English well or fluently had an EPR of 69 percent, while those speaking no English had an EPR of 39 percent. Historically, most refugees improve their English proficiency over time. Those who do not are the least likely to be employed.

Figure 5 . Average Hourly Wages of Employed Refugees by Year of Survey and Year of Arrival

During the past 12 months, 24 percent of all refugees attended English Language Training (ELT) outside of high school (see Table II-8). Refugees from Southeast Asia (35 percent), Middle East (29 percent), Latin America (29 percent), and former Soviet Union (27 percent) have attended ELT outside of high school the most, while Africa (23 percent) and Eastern European refugees (10 percent) have attended ELT the least. For the same period, the proportion of refugees who have attended job-training classes (10 percent) lags far behind ELT (24 percent). Overall, only 10 percent of all survey respondents had attended job training (refer to Table II-8). Nineteen percent of Latin American refugees and 13 percent of African refugees attended job training since arrival, significantly higher than other refugee groups, none of which exceeded 6 percent.

Earnings and Utilization of Public Assistance

The earnings of employed refugees generally rise with length of residence in the U.S. (refer to Table II-9). For 2004 arrivals, the average hourly wage was $8.00. ¹² For 1999 arrivals, the average 2004 hourly wage was $9.60 per hour (a difference of 8 percent) for those in the 2004 survey. The overall hourly wage of employed refugees in the five-year population was $8.90. This represents a decrease from the overall rate in the 2003 survey ($9.20), but it is consistent with previous years with $8.90 and $8.83 reported in the 2001 and 2000 surveys, respectively, not adjusting for inflation. It is a slight retreat from the 2002 survey year, which reported an overall annual wage of $9.37.

Another way of looking at these earnings data is to follow refugees who arrived in the same year over time. For example, the average wage for 1999 arrivals was $7.88 in 2000, $8.23 in 2001, $9.48 in 2002, $9.65 in 2003 and $9.60 in 2004 (these figures are not adjusted for inflation which was about 3 percent a year not including 2004) ¹³. This increase in earnings over time for refugees is illustrated in Figure 5. Looking at the arrival years vertically shows the increase for a particular arrival group over time, while each line itself shows the average wages for the refugees in that particular survey by arrival year.

From the 2004 survey, the overall hourly wage of employed refugees who spoke English well or fluently at the time of the survey was an average of $9.16, compared to $8.86 for refugees who did not speak English well, and $8.16 for refugees who did not speak English at all.

Upon closer examination, refugees who spoke English well or fluently at the time of the survey accounted for 59 percent of jobs that paid over $7.50 per hour, compared to 34 percent of refugees who did not speak English well, and only five percent of refugees who did not speak English at all.

Finally, the number of refugees who reported home ownership also appears to rise with length of residence. Whereas 17 percent of refugees interviewed in the 2004 survey reported home ownership, the trend is quite encouraging. Only one percent of recent arrivals reported home ownership, but refugees who had arrived in previous years showed sharply higher rates of home ownership, reaching 32 percent for 1999 arrivals.

Table II-10 details the economic self‑sufficiency of the five‑year sample population. According to the 2004 survey, almost 71 percent of all refugee households in the U.S. achieved economic self‑sufficiency, relying only on earnings for their needs. This is a marginal increase from the previous four years, which averaged about 62 percent. An additional 18 percent had achieved partial independence, with household income a mix of earnings and public assistance (a decrease from the 2003 survey, and a slight decline from the percentages reported in the 1999 – 2001 surveys). For another 7 percent of refugee households, however, cash income in 2004 consisted entirely of public assistance.

The 2004 survey findings in the Public Assistance Only category reflect a slight decrease from the 2003 survey (9 percent), which was the lowest seen in this category since 1998. The low rates of Public Assistance Only cases coupled with an increase in Earnings Only cases may indicate that refugees are finding it easier to adjust to the U.S. workforce. Hourly wages, home ownership, and self-sufficiency for the most recent five surveys are contained in Table II-10. While there are year-to-year fluctuations because of the different mix of refugee demographics and skill levels, economic self-sufficiency tends to increase with time in the U.S., although largely within the first two years.

Table II-11 details several types of household characteristics by income. Households receiving only public assistance average three members and no wage earners, while those with a mix of earnings and assistance income average five members and two wage earners. Households that receive no public assistance likewise generally contained two wage-earners. It is noteworthy that the Public Assistance Only category had the fewest number of households with children. Typically, there is a positive correlation between the number of households with children and the number of households utilizing public assistance only. However, in this case, the negative correlation may be due to the high proportion of Public Assistance Only households that consist of aged refugees receiving Supplemental Security Income.

English language proficiency was lowest in welfare dependent households. Only five percent of these households contained one or more persons fluent in English. In contrast, about 24 percent of households with a mix of earnings and assistance reported at least one fluent English speaker. Twenty-eight percent of households with earnings income only reported at least one fluent English speaker. Again, the relationship between English language proficiency and income seems to suggest that refugees are more likely to be self-sufficient when they are proficient in English.

Medical Coverage

Overall, 18 percent of adult refugees surveyed lacked medical coverage of any kind throughout the year preceding the survey (refer to Table II-12). In the 2004 survey, lack of medical coverage varied widely among the six refugee groups, with the former Soviet Union refugees having only 4 percent of the refugees without medical coverage and refugees from Latin America reporting 40 percent of the population without medical coverage at some point in the survey year.

TABLE II-8 – Service Utilization by Selected Refugee Groups and for Year of Arrival
Type of Service Utilization	Africa	Eastern Europe	Latin America	Middle East	Southeast Asia	Former Soviet Union	All
ELT since arrival Inside High School	9.8%	9.6%	5.6%	22.8%	6.7%	13.4%	10.6%
ELT since arrival Outside of High School	23.1	9.9	28.5	29.2	35.3	26.9	23.9
Job training since arrival	13.1	2.6	19.2	2.4	3.5	5.4	9.5
Currently attending ELT Inside High School	9.8	9.6	5.6	22.8	6.7	13.4	10.6
Currently attending ELT Outside of High School	17.1	6.5	10.7	21.0	24.6	17.0	14.7
Type of Service Utilization by Year of Arrival	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	All
ELT since arrival Inside High School	12.2%	10.9%	9.6%	9.6%	9.8%	13.4%	10.6%
ELT since arrival Outside of High School	48.5	48.3	26.1	22.9	17.5	16.4	23.9
Job training since arrival	10.1	14.4	8.1	10.4	11.6	3.9	9.5
Currently attending ELT Inside High School	12.2	10.9	9.6	9.6	9.8	13.4	10.6
Currently attending ELT Outside of High School	34.0	26.9	16.8	12.9	11.6	11.3	14.7

Note: Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and Refugees on all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004. In order that English language training (ELT) not be confused with English high school instruction, statistics for both populations are given.

TABLE II-9 – Hourly Wages, Home Ownership, and Self-Sufficiency by Year of Arrival: 2004 Survey
Year of Arrival	Hourly Wages of Employed -Current Job	Own Home/ Apartment	Rent Home/ Apartment	Public Assistance Only	Both Public Assistance and Earnings	Earnings Only
2004	$8.00	1.1	98.9	24.8	32.6	34.2
2003	8.10	4.2	93.8	11.3	31.9	51.9
2002	8.80	12.9	83.0	11.3	18.9	67.1
2001	8.60	16.1	79.4	4.7	18.4	74.7
2000	9.50	19.2	80.8	8.3	15.5	73.0
1999	9.60	31.6	62.5	3.5	15.4	80.0
Total Sample	8.90	17.4	79.4	7.4	18.2	71.0

Note: Data refers to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004. These figures refer to self-reported characteristics of refugees.

TABLE II-10 – Average Hourly Wages, Home Ownership, and Public Assistance by Survey Year

Year of Survey	Average Hourly Wages of Employed	Own Home or Apartment	Rent Home or Apartment	Public Assistance Only	Both Public Assistance and Earnings	Earnings Only
2004 Survey	$8.90	17.4%	79.4%	7.4%	18.2%	71.0%
2003 Survey	9.20	18.7	79.0	9.3	19.6	61.6
2002 Survey	9.40	13.4	85.7	8.7	18.7	68.8
2001 Survey	8.90	7.2	91.9	14.0	21.9	62.7
2000 Survey	8.50	8.2	90.0	12.4	20.3	65.2
1999 Survey	8.30	13.0	84.9	12.8	19.1	66.4

Note: As of October 2004, October 2003, October 2002, October 2001, October 2000, and 1999. Earnings figures are not adjusted for inflation. Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, entrants, and refugees of all nationalities who were interviewed as a part of the 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999 surveys.

Table II-11 – Characteristics of Households by Type of Income Refugee Households with:
Household Characteristics	Public Assistance Only		Both Public Assistance and Earnings		Earnings Only		Total Sample
Average Household Size	2.9		5.0		4.1		4.2
Average Number of wage earners per household*	0.0		1.9		2.2		1.9
Percent of households with at least one member:
Under the age of 6	10.9%	34.5%		23.5%		25.0%
Under the age of 16	37.2	69.1		60.1		60.2
Fluent English Speaker **	4.8	24.2		27.9		25.1
*Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and Refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004. Refugee households with neither earnings nor assistance are excluded. ** English fluency at time of the survey

TABLE II-12 – Source of Medical Coverage for Selected Refugee Groups and for Year of Arrival

Source of Medical Coverage	Africa	East. Europ	Latin America	Middle East	S.E. Asia	Former Soviet Union			All
No Medical Coverage in any of past 12 months	11.8%	17.3%	40.4%	21.3%	9.9%	3.8%			17.9%
Medical Coverage through employer	46.5	56.6	15.1	18.1	43.7	13.5			33.1
Medicaid or RMA	25.8	17.4	19.2	48.7	44.7	53.3			31.3
Source of Medical Coverage by Year of Arrival	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999			All
No Medical Coverage in any of the past 12 months	6.8%	10.1%	16.9%	17.3%	24.2%	17.7%			17.9%
Medical Coverage through Employer	7.3	15.5	19.7	40.1	33.2	42.4			33.1
Medicaid or RMA	67.6	56.4	41.7	23.4	24.1	28.4		31.3

Note: As of December 2004. Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, entrants, and refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004.

The proportion of refugees without medical coverage has varied greatly over the past several years, ranging from a low of eight percent for the 2000 survey to a high of 18 percent in this year’s survey.

Refugees from Eastern Europe were the most likely to have medical coverage through employment (57 percent), followed by African refugees (47 percent) and Southeast Asian refugees (44 percent). All other refugee groups fared much worse, with none exceeding 18 percent. These findings are consistent with the associated EPR for each refugee group excluding Latin America, which had a relatively high EPR (67 percent) and a low percentage of refugees who received insurance coverage through their employer. This suggests that although refugees from Latin America are employed, they most likely are not eligible or have not been extended medical benefits through their employer.

However, since 1999, medical coverage through Medicaid or RMA has increased from 28 to 31 percent, and medical coverage through employment has decreased from 56 to 33 percent (refer to Table II-13).

Medical coverage through Medicaid or RMA also varied widely between refugee groups. Coverage was highest for the former Soviet Union (53 percent), Middle East (49 percent), and Southeast Asia (45 percent) and lowest for Eastern Europe (17 percent), Latin America (19.2 percent), and Africa (26 percent).

The 2004 survey showed a decrease in the number of refugees who received medical coverage through government aid programs (31 percent) as opposed to the previous year (36 percent). This finding is consistent with the EPR for year 2004 which showed an elevated employment rate of 63 percent. As a general rule, medical coverage through employment increases with time in the U.S., and medical coverage through government aid programs declines with time in the U.S. This is illustrated by the 2004 survey (see Table II-12).

TABLE II-13 – Source of Medical Coverage for Selected Refugee Groups by Year of Survey
Year of Survey	Africa	Eastern Europe	Latin America	Middle East	S.E. Asia	Former Soviet Union	Vietnam	All
No Medical Coverage in any of past 12 months
2004 Survey	11.8%	17.3%	40.4%	21.3%	9.9%	3.8%	-	17.9%
2003 Survey	12.6	10.8	32.0	0.0	33.3	5.4	-	16.1
2002 Survey	15.5	13.4	38.8	24.7	0.0	11.7	2.9	17.4
2001 Survey	11.9	9.3	24.9	12.0	15.8	5.0	12.7	11.5
2000 Survey	15.1	8.8	7.8	7.6	4.7	6.4	5.1	7.9
1999 Survey	12.4	12.2	23.8	12.6	12.4	8.4	10.2	12.6
Medical Coverage Through Employer
2004 Survey	46.5%	56.6%	15.1%	18.1%	43.7%	13.5%	-	33.1%
2003 Survey	42.2	56.4	27.7	2.4	8.7	14.7	-	29.9
2002 Survey	68.0	60.8	40.6	74.7	97.6	88.0	90.7	68.8
2001 Survey	47.1	78.7	33.5	46.5	73.0	24.5	72.7	50.3
2000 Survey	59.9	73.9	52.7	71.5	56.1	34.3	84.6	61.0
1999 Survey	50.8	64.0	63.4	64.7	29.0	33.0	74.3	56.3
Medicaid or RMA
2004 Survey	25.8%	17.4%	19.2%	48.7%	44.7%	53.3%	-	31.3%
2003 Survey	23.8	21.1	19.2	88.9	28.6	63.4	-	36.3
2002 Survey	31.2	19.5	26.1	60.8	11.2	61.4	9.0	34.6
2001 Survey	35.7	10.4	33.1	34.3	9.9	62.3	13.7	33.0
2000 Survey	24.3	12.7	23.6	19.9	39.2	52.7	10.1	25.5
1999 Survey	33.8	18.4	10.5	20.6	58.5	53.6	13.9	27.7

Note: As of October 2004, October 2003, October 2002, October 2001, October 2000, and October 1999. Data refer to refugees 16 and over in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, Entrants, and Refugees of all nationalities who were interviewed as a part of the 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999.

Sixty-eight percent of the 2004 arrivals depended on public programs for medical coverage, primarily Medicaid, and for very recent arrivals, Refugee Medical Assistance. Only about seven percent of these recent arrivals reported medical coverage through an employer, or no coverage at all in any of the past 12 months.

Refugee Welfare Utilization

As in previous years, welfare utilization varied considerably among refugee groups. Table II-14 presents welfare utilization data on the households of the six refugee groups formed from the survey respondents.

Non‑cash assistance (refer to Table II-14) was generally higher than cash assistance, probably because Medicaid, food stamp, and housing assistance programs, though available to cash assistance households, are also available more broadly to households without children.

Just over 40 percent of refugee households reported receiving food stamps in the previous 12 months versus the 47, 34, 36, 29, 27, and 33 percentages reported in the previous five surveys. Food stamp utilization was lowest among the Eastern Europeans (19 percent) but quite a bit higher for the other groups, reaching 61 percent among the refugees from the former Soviet Union, perhaps because of their disproportionately large number of elderly refugees.

In the 2004 survey, 12 percent of refugee households reported that they receive housing assistance, up marginally from the previous surveys, which averaged ten percent excluding 2003, which was 15 percent. Housing assistance for refugees showed similar diversity—a minimum of two percent for Eastern Europeans and as high as 27 percent for Africans.

Table II-14 also reveals that 26 percent of refugee households surveyed in 2004 had received some kind of cash assistance ¹⁴ in at least one of the previous 12 months. This represents a decrease of three percentage points from the 2003 survey. The 2002, 2001, and 2000 surveys, respectively, had an increase of 2, 10, and 7 percent. Overall, receipt of any cash assistance was highest for the Middle East (49 percent) and the Former Soviet Union (44 percent) and lowest for Latin America (8 percent), Eastern Europe (17 percent) and Africa (26 percent) each.

Ten percent of all refugee households had received TANF ¹⁵ in the last 12 months, three points more than 2003 and approximately 5 points more than the number reported in the 2002 survey. Utilization ranged from a high of 28 percent for the Middle East to a low of four percent for Latin America even with its relatively high number of families with children. Utilization was nine percent for the Former Soviet Union and 5 percent for the Eastern Europe, respectively. Three percent of sampled households received RCA in 2004, three percentage points less than in 2003 (refer to Table II-14).

Fourteen percent of refugee households had at least one household member who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the past twelve months. This rate is the same as 2003 and eight points lower than 1998. Utilization varied largely according to the number of refugees over age 65.

Refugee households from the former Soviet Union (35 percent) and the Middle East ( 23 percent) were found to utilize SSI most often. In the 2004 survey, eight percent of the refugees who came to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union in the past five years were aged 65 or over. By contrast, six percent of the refugees from Africa, four percent of the refugees from Southeast Asia and Latin America, and less than three percent of the refugees from the Middle East and Eastern Europe were 65 or over. The median age for the six refugee groups (16 years old and older) ranged from a low of 25 years for Africa to 39 years for the former Soviet Union.

General Assistance (also called General Relief or Home Relief in some States) is a form of cash assistance funded entirely with State or local funds. It generally provides assistance to single persons, childless couples, and families with children that are not eligible for TANF. The 2004 survey reported that about two percent of refugee households received some form of GA during the past twelve months. Refugees from Africa showed the highest utilization rate (5 percent) followed by Southeast Asia and the former Soviet Union (3 percent). The Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe showed the lowest utilization rate (less than 1 percent). The low utilization by refugees from Latin America (.3 percent) may be related to their concentration in Florida, which has no State-funded General Assistance program.

TABLE II-14 – Public Assistance Utilization of Selected Refugee Groups
Type of Public Assistance	Africa	Eastern Europe	Latin America	Middle East	S.E. Asia	Former Soviet Union		All
Cash Assistance
Any Type of Cash Assistance	25.5%	16.8%	8.4%	48.7%	26.5%	44.1%		25.6%
TANF	12.1	4.7	3.9	27.9	11.0	8.6		9.5
RCA	8.1	0.8	1.1	4.9	3.3	2.0		3.4
SSI	4.7	11.6	3.5	23.3	10.3	34.8		13.5
General Assistance	5.2	0.9	0.3	0.5	3.3	3.3		2.3
Non-cash Assistance
Medicaid or RMA	25.8	17.4	19.2	48.7	44.7	53.3		31.3
Food Stamps	39.6	19.4	32.9	51.0	56.2	61.0		40.6
Housing	26.6	1.9	5.9	16.6	5.5	11.9		12.3

Note: Data refers to refugee households in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, entrants, and refugees of all nationalities who arrived in the years 1999-2004. Medicaid and RMA data refer to adult refugees age 16 and over. All other data refer to refugee households and not individuals. Many households receive more that one type of assistance.

The relationship between employment and receipt of welfare (cash assistance) varied across refugee groups. Refugees from Latin America (8 percent), Eastern Europe (17 percent), and Southeast Asia (27 percent) showed relatively low welfare utilization and a high EPR (67 percent, 74 percent, and 57 percent, respectively—see Table II-4).

Tables II-4 and II-14, when read together, illustrate that refugees from the former Soviet Union showed a relatively high welfare utilization rate (44 percent) and the lowest employment rates (48 percent). Refugees from Southeast Asia and the Middle East showed a high welfare utilization rate (27 and 49 percent, respectively) and yet a high EPR (57 and 51 percent, respectively). This may relate to their family composition and living arrangements whereby younger workers share a household with elderly parents receiving SSI. It is noteworthy that in 2004 there was a substantial decrease in the welfare utilization rates for the Latin American (8 percent) and Southeast Asian (27 percent) refugee populations as compared to 2003 where the rates were 22 percent and 49 percent respectively.

Employment and Welfare Utilization Rates by State

The 2004 survey also reported welfare utilization and employment rate by State of residence. Table II-16 shows the EPR and utilization rates for various types of welfare for twelve States, as well as the nation as a whole. Unlike Table II-14, which computes welfare utilization rates for entire households, Table II-16 presents data on utilization by individual refugees (including children). The EPR was generally high where welfare utilization was low and vice versa. Specifically, in States with a high refugee employment rate like Ohio (72 percent), Florida (70 percent), and Arizona (60 percent), welfare utilization among refugees was low, 16, 12, and 14 percent, respectively.

However, many States showed a high EPR and a high rate of welfare utilization. For example Pennsylvania (71 percent), Illinois (68 percent), and Georgia (67 percent) scored not only high EPRs but also relatively high welfare utilization rates—33 percent, 33 percent, and 21 percent, respectively.

TABLE II-15 – Public Assistance Utilization of Selected Refugee Groups by Year of Survey
Year Survey Administered	Africa	Eastern Europe	Latin America	Middle East	S.E. Asia	Former Soviet Union	Vietnam	All
Any Type of Cash Assistance
2004 Survey	25.5%	16.8%	8.4%	48.7%	26.5%	44.1%	-	25.6%
2003 Survey	24.3	21.5	21.9	9.5	49.0	50.1	-	28.9
2002 Survey	22.5	16.6	14.9	27.1	60.0	55.4	17.1	27.4
2001 Survey	39.6	10.6	38.9	45.9	30.0	61.9	13.6	35.9
2000 Survey	38.4	18.1	27.4	29.5	46.0	55.4	22.8	32.7
1999 Survey	44.6	17.5	15.3	21.9	48.6	57.1	22.1	31.9
Medicaid or RMA
2004 Survey	25.8%	17.4%	19.2%	48.7%	44.7%	53.3%	-	31.3%
2003 Survey	23.8	21.1	19.2	88.9	28.6	63.4	-	36.3
2002 Survey	31.2	19.5	26.1	60.8	11.2	61.4	9.0	34.6
2001 Survey	35.7	10.4	33.1	34.4	9.9	62.3	13.7	33.0
2000 Survey	24.3	12.7	23.6	19.9	39.2	52.7	10.1	25.5
1999 Survey	33.8	18.4	10.5	20.6	58.5	53.6	13.9	27.7
Food Stamps
2004 Survey	39.6%	19.4%	32.9%	51.0%	56.2%	61.0%	-	40.6%
2003 Survey	45.4	27.8	37.6	32.5	73.2	62.0	-	46.4
2002 Survey	35.6	22.5	28.6	47.5	17.8	54.0	11.5	33.5
2001 Survey	42.5	10.0	45.2	35.0	40.0	59.4	13.2	35.8
2000 Survey	28.5	19.5	33.9	14.5	31.2	52.0	1.3	28.5
1999 Survey	40.3	15.3	14.7	18.2	46.2	50.3	10.7	26.7
Public Housing
2004 Survey	26.6%	1.9%	5.9%	16.6%	5.5%	11.9%	-	12.3%
2003 Survey	24.8	6.8	3.8	2.4	51.6	27.5	-	14.9
2002 Survey	23.5	7.3	6.4	1.3	0.0	22.7	2.1	11.7
2001 Survey	21.8	3.2	3.6	4.0	0.0	21.7	2.3	10.2
2000 Survey	23.2	6.9	4.0	7.2	21.2	26.5	1.3	12.1
1999 Survey	23.0	4.6	1.8	5.4	39.0	12.8	4.9	8.4

Note: Data refers to refugee households in the five-year sample population consisting of Amerasians, entrants, and refugees of all nationalities who were interviewed as a part of the 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999 surveys. Medicaid and RMA data refer to adult refugees age 16 and over. All other data refer to refugee households and not individuals. Many households received more than one type of assistance.

California , followed by Pennsylvania, Washington, and Texas showed the highest proportion of TANF utilization (21, 19, 13, and 13 percent, respectively). Pennsylvania (20 percent), Minnesota and Arizona (7 percent), and Texas (6 percent) showed the highest proportion of RCA utilization. Illinois,

followed by California and Washington, showed the highest proportion of SSI utilization (29, 25, and 25 percent, respectively). Georgia, followed by New York, showed the highest GA utilization (7 and 5 percent, respectively).

TABLE II-16 – Employment-to-Population Ratio (EPR) and Welfare Dependency for Top Twelve States
Percent of Individuals (vs. Households) on Welfare
State	Arrivals* Individuals	EPR Individual	TANF Households	RCA Households	SSI Households	GA Households	Total** Households
Florida	(1365)	70.1%	4.8%	1.0%	6.3%	0.3%	11.8%
California	(734)	52.4	21.0	4.1	25.1	3.2	47.4
New York	(620)	60.1	8.6	1.5	17.7	5.3	31.0
Washington	(501)	44.7	13.3	3.3	24.9	3.5	36.6
Texas	(441)	53.2	12.7	5.6	13.7	0.0	31.5
Georgia	(302)	66.7	2.0	4.2	7.0	7.3	20.5
Pennsylvania	(273)	71.1	19.3	19.8	7.3	1.4	32.6
Ohio	(213)	71.6	1.6	2.8	11.1	0.7	16.2
Minnesota	(199)	54.6	1.1	7.2	1.8	1.6	9.0
Illinois	(178)	67.6	3.2	3.5	28.9	0.0	33.3
Michigan	(177)	60.6	1.0	2.1	19.4	0.0	22.6
Arizona	(153)	60.4	0.0	6.6	5.5	1.7	13.9
Other States	(1901)	64.7	11.7	2.9	13.6	3.1	27.5
All States	(7057)	62.6	9.5	3.4	13.5	2.3	25.6
*The State arrival figures are weighted totals of individuals. **The column totals represent percent of individual households who received any combination of AFDC, RCA, SSI and/or GA, e.g., if an individual received AFDC, RCA, SSI, and GA, he/she is counted four times.

Note: As of December 2003. Not seasonally adjusted. Welfare utilization refers to receipt of public assistance in at least one of the past twelve months. The listed utilization rate for each type of public assistance is in terms of individual households in which one or more people (including minor children) received in the five-year sample population residing in that State. Because some refugees have difficulty distinguishing between GA and AFDC/TANF, some GA utilization may reflect AFDC/TANF utilization. For data on welfare utilization by household, see Table 14. Due to the small number of households in each state, except for the top five, estimates about the use of public assistance are subject to a large sampling error.

Overall, findings from ORR's 2004 survey indicate (as in previous years) that refugees face significant problems upon arrival in the United States. But, over time, refugees generally find jobs and move toward economic self-sufficiency in their new country. Data also show that the continued progress of many refugee households toward self-sufficiency is tied to factors such as education, English proficiency, and such characteristics as age at time of arrival and family support.

Technical Note: The ORR Annual Survey, with interviews conducted by DB Consulting Group, Inc. in the fall of 2004, is the 33rd in a series conducted since 1975. Until 1993, the survey was limited to Southeast Asian refugees. A random sample was selected from the ORR Refugee Data File. ORR's contractor, DB Consulting Group, Inc. contacted the family by a letter in English and a second letter in the refugee's native language. If the person sampled was a child, an adult living in the same household was interviewed. Interviews were conducted by telephone in the refugee's native language. The questionnaire and interview procedures were essentially the same between the 1981 survey and the 1992 survey, except that beginning in 1985 the sample was expanded to a five‑year population consisting of refugees from Southeast Asia who had arrived over the most recent five years.

In 1993, the survey was expanded beyond the Southeast Asian refugee population to include refugee, Amerasian, and entrant arrivals from all regions of the world. Each year a random sample of new arrivals is identified and interviewed. In addition, refugees who had been included in the previous year's survey--but had not resided in the United States for more than five years--are again contacted and interviewed for the new survey. Thus, the survey continuously tracks the progress of a randomly selected sample of refugees over their initial five years in this country. This permits comparison of refugees arriving in different years, as well as the relative influence of experiential and environmental factors on refugee progress toward self‑sufficiency across five years.

For the 2004 survey, 1,117 households were contacted and interviewed. Refugees included in the 2003 survey who had not yet resided in the U.S. for five years were again contacted and interviewed along with a new sample of refugees, Amerasians, and entrants who had arrived between May 1, 2003 and April 30, 2004. Of the 2,285 re‑interview cases from the 2004 sample, 920 were contacted and interviewed, and 33 were contacted, but refused to be interviewed. The remaining 1,332 re‑interview cases could not be traced in time to be interviewed. Of the 948 new interview cases, 197 were contacted and interviewed, another five were contacted, but refused to cooperate, and the remaining 749 could not be traced in time to be interviewed. The resulting responses were then weighted according to year of entry and ethnic category.

In addition, of the 1,332 re-interview cases that could not be traced in time to be interviewed, three were deceased, 38 moved back to their native country, and 1,043 households had wrong or disconnected phone numbers. Of the 749 new interview cases that could not be traced in time to be interviewed, 221 households had wrong or disconnected phone numbers.

 

---

[12] The average hourly pay for all full-time workers in the U.S. in 2003 was $17.41.

[13] None of the 1997 arrivals in the 1997 survey were re-interviewed in the 2002 survey.

[14] Caution must be exercised when reviewing refugee declarations of welfare utilization. These are self-reported data and are subject to wide variation in interpretation by the respondent. The surveys are conducted in the refugee’s native language , and certain technical terms which distinguish types of income do not translate well into foreign languages. Refugees readily admit to receiving “welfare” or “assistance”, but they are frequently confused about the correct category. Past surveys have found that refugee households are very accurate in reporting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because their claims are handled by the Social Security Administration. However, RCA, TANF, and GA cases are all handled by the local county welfare office and are not clearly distinguished from each other by the refugee family. Over the years, we have noted that many refugees claim RCA many years after arrival even though the program is confined to the first eight months in the U.S., claim receipt of TANF even though they have no children, or claim receipt of general relief even though they reside in States that do not provide such assistance, such as Florida or Texas.

[15] The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program was created by Congress in 1996 to provide cash assistance to needy families with children, replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program.