title: Aspects of occupational mobility and attainment among immigrants in Australia.
abstract: The occupational distributions of the native-born and foreign-born in the Australian labor market differ greatly.  The disparity between the occupational distributions is greatest among the middle age-bracket, and among immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.  Analysis of occupational attainment using unit record data from the 1981 Census shows that as duration of residence in Australia lengthens, the occupational distribution of the overseas-born converges toward that of the Australian-born.  Moreover, birthplace groups differ in the degree of upward mobility associated with length of residence in Australia:  immigrants from non-English-speaking countries tend to make greater occupational advances than their counterpart from English-speaking countries.  This suggests a higher degree of international transferability of human capital skills among immigrants from English-speaking countries.  The analysis also highlights the concentration of immigrants from non-English speaking countries in low-ranked occupations, and the relatively minor influence of education on the occupational attainment of immigrants from these birth place regions.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D004522:Educational Status; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004651:Employment; D005843:Geography; D007802:Language; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010139:Pacific Islands; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants
keywords: Adult; Australia; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Economic Factors; Educational Status; Employment Status; Geographic Factors; Language; Mathematical Model; Middle Aged; Migrants; Migration; Models, Theoretical; Nonmigrants; Occupational Status; Oceania; Origin; Place Of Birth; Population; Population Characteristics; Population Dynamics; Residence Characteristics; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Spatial Distribution