Mode of Migration, Age at Arrival, and Occupational Attainment of Immigrants from Mainland China to Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper examines occupational attainment of Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong by comparing immigrants from Guangdong province with people who stayed in Guangdong and Hong Kong natives. Taking advantage of comparable data from the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics (HKPSSD) and the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we find that Chinese immigrants have significantly lower occupational attainment, measured by International Socioeconomic Index (ISEI), than their counterparts in both the origin and the destination. We further examine whether immigrants’ occupational attainment differs by mode of migration and age at arrival. Results show that disadvantages exist for documented immigrants and those who arrived in Hong Kong at age 13 or older, whereas undocumented immigrants and those who arrived younger than 13 do not differ significantly from either Guangdong stayers or Hong Kong natives.