EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 A.M. EDT, SEPTEMBER 12, 2000 (TUESDAY)

Public Information Office                                               CB00-147
301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax)
301-457-1037 (TDD)
e-mail: pio@census.gov

Angela Brittingham
301-457-2403

 Foreign-Born Residents as Likely as Native Population to be College Grads,
          But Lag at Lower Educational Levels, Census Bureau Reports

  A ratio of 1 in 4 of the nation's foreign-born residents age 25 and over in
1999 had at least a bachelor's degree a ratio equal to the rest of the nation's
adult population, according to a report released today by the Commerce
Department's Census Bureau.

  "It is important to note that there is a great deal of diversity within the
foreign-born population," said Angela Brittingham, the report's author. "For
example, the proportion with a bachelor's degree or higher ranged from 45 percent
among migrants from Asia to 11 percent among those from Latin America.

  "Although the foreign-born population as a group matched the rest of the
population at the bachelor's level, they trail in most other areas of educational
attainment."

  About 4 in 10 foreign-born adults reported having received a high school
diploma only or having attended college without earning a degree, compared
with more than 6 in 10 for other adults. Nearly 1 in 4 (23 percent) of the
foreign-born adults had less than a ninth-grade education, compared with
1 in 20 (5 percent) of the rest of the 25-and-over population.

  Other highlights from the report, The Foreign-Born Population in
the United States: March 1999, P20-519:

- Among the foreign-born population, those from Asia were the most educated:
  83 percent have at least a high school diploma, compared with 79 percent of
  those from Europe and 48 percent of those from Latin America.

- Among Latin Americans, those from South America were the most likely to have
  at least a high school diploma (79 percent) and those from Central America
  (including Mexico), the least likely (36 percent).

- Eighteen percent of the country's foreign-born population was living in 
  poverty in 1998 compared with 12 percent of the rest of the population.
  Among foreign-born residents, Latin Americans had the highest poverty rate
  (24 percent), followed by those from Asia and Europe (each about 11 percent).

- Seventeen percent of full-time, year-round foreign-born workers in 1998 earned
  more than $50,000, compared with 23 percent of their counterparts in the
  remainder of the population. Meanwhile, 39 percent of the foreign-born
  population earned less than $20,000, compared with 22 percent of other workers.
                                
- Foreign-born workers were more likely than other workers to be employed in a
  service job (19 percent compared with 13 percent) and less likely to work in
  a managerial or professional specialty occupation (24 percent compared with
  31 percent).

- In 1999, the United States had 26.4 million foreign-born residents, 
  representing 10 percent of the nation's total population. 

- One-half (51 percent) of the foreign-born population hailed from Latin
  America, while 27 percent were born in Asia, 16 percent in Europe and
  6 percent in the rest of the world.

  The report and 64 accompanying tables feature statistics on such 
characteristics of the foreign-born population as region of birth, geographic
distribution in the United States, age, citizenship, household size, marital
status, educational level, employment status, occupation, earnings and poverty
status. Comparisons are made between the foreign-born and native populations,
as well as among the foreign-born population by region of birth, citizenship
status and year of entry.

  Data are from the March 1999 Current Population Survey. Statistics from 
sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error.