Immigrants and WIOA Services: Comparison of Sociodemographic Characteristics of Native- and Foreign-Born Adults in New York City, New York
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Fact Sheet April 2016 Immigrants and WIOA Services Comparison of Sociodemographic Characteristics of Native- and Foreign-Born Adults in New York City, New York By Margie McHugh and Madeleine Morawski 1 This fact sheet provides a profile of key characteristics of foreign-born and native-born residents of New York City that are relevant to understanding needs for adult education and workforce training services. It is part of a largerWorkforce series of Innovationstate and county and Opportunity fact sheets producedAct by the Migration Policy Institute’s (MPI) National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy to support equitable implementation of the (WIOA), as well as consideration of other policy and funding initiatives to promote the successful linguistic, economic, and civic integration of immigrants and refugees who have settled in the United States. The estimates provided are based on MPI analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Commu- nity Survey (ACS) data pooled over the 2010-14 period in order to provide the most detailed sociodemographic portrait possible of residents’ characteristics. Mirroring the design of ACTS federal adult education and workforce training program rules, data are provided for those ages 16 and over. F 1) Nativity, Age, and Origin of New York City Residents ON I As of 2010-14, New York City was home to more than 6.7 million residents ages 16 and older; nearly 3 million of whom, or 44 percent, were foreign born. Relatively fewer of the city’s for- eign-born individuals are ages 16-18 or ages 19-24 as compared to its native-born residents; GRAT rather, they are more likely to be in their prime working years, with 68 percent falling in the I 25-to-44 and 45-to-59 age bands (compared to 58 percent of those who are native born). MM More than half (52 percent) of the city’s immigrant residents ages 16 and over hail from I Latin America; 26 percent are of Asian origin—lower than the 28 percent share nationally; Relevanceand 17 percent for WIOA are European, Implementation: higher than the national share of 13 percent. Provisions of WIOA’s Title I address the country’s three primary workforce training programs (youth, adult, and dislocated worker), target sub- populationsreferred to as within the Adult them Education (e.g. out-of-school and Family youth Literacy ages Act16 to 24), and the nature of services to be provided through them. Title II of the law—Adult Education and Literacy (commonly , or AEFLA)—provides the national framework for services designed to build the basic skills of adults who lack a high school diploma or equivalent or who are Limited English Proficient (LEP). States and localities must ensure that eligible populations are given equitable access to information and services provided under the law in order not to run afoul of federal civil-rights and antidiscrimination provisions. This includes, for example, ensuring that language barriers do not impede access to information and services provided by American Job Centers (formerly known as One-Stop Table 1. Age, Gender, and Origin of the New York City Population (ages 16 and older), by Nativity, 2010-14 Total Native Born Foreign Born Number Number Percent Number Percent Total population ages 16 and 6,749,000 3,755,000 100% 2,994,000 100% over Age Groups 16 to 18 299,000 243,000 6% 56,000 2% 19 to 24 744,000 545,000 15% 199,000 7% 25 to 44 2,618,000 1,442,000 38% 1,176,000 39% 45 to 59 1,607,000 748,000 20% 858,000 29% 60 and over 1,482,000 777,000 21% 705,000 24% Gender Female 3,591,000 1,993,000 53% 1,598,000 53% Regions of Birth (excluding birth at sea and unspecified countries) Africa X X X 124,000 4% Asia X X X 790,000 26% Europe X X X 501,000 17% Latin America X X X 1,550,000 52% Northern America X X X 21,000 1% Oceania X X X 8,000 0% Notes: New York City includes Bronx County, Kings County, New York County, Queens County, and Richmond County. Latin America includes South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean; Northern America includes Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon. All numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand; calcula- tions in the text use absolute numbers. Source: Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the pooled 2010-14 American Com- munity Survey (ACS). Career Centers) through which states and lo- native-born peers to lack a high school calities organize local access to WIOA-funded diploma or equivalent (HSD/E) and not services. Given the size of its foreign-born be enrolled in school. Similarly, immigrant population (and their range of educational young adults comprise more than a quarter backgrounds and levels of English profi- of the city’s 19- to 24-year-olds but are more ciency—as described below), those engaged likely than native-born peers to lack a HSD/E, in implementing WIOA in New York City face comprising more than one-third of residents complex challenges in ensuring that the city’s in this age range who have not obtained a diverse immigrant and refugee populations HSD/E. Further, foreign-born young adults have equitable access to services provided who lack a HSD/E are less likely than their under the law. native-born peers to be enrolled in school (17 percent versus 27 percent). Finally, 2) Educational Attainment among those not enrolled in school, foreign- born young adults are far more likely than the native born to be working (51 percent versus 20 percent). Foreign-born young adults represent nearly Foreign-born individuals account for 48 per- 20 percent of the city’s 16-to-18-year-old cent of New York City residents ages 25 and population; however, they comprise 28 older; they are more than twice as likely as percent of out-of-school youth in this age native-born peers to lack a HSD/E, account- range, and are 1.5 times as likely as their 2 ing for 67 percent of adults in this age group Immigrants and WIOA Services: New York City, New York Fact Sheet who have not completed high school. At the for workforce training services, and/or whose other end of the education spectrum, 28 percent service design is largely sequential—i.e. expect- of foreign-born individuals ages 25 and over ing adults to complete basic skills requirements hold a bachelor’s degree or higher as compared before gaining access to workforce training pro- Relevanceto 42 percent for of WIOA those Implementation: who are native born. grams. At the same time, provisions in the law that promote the use of career pathway service Out- designs for serving WIOA clients pose significant of-school youth are a primary focus of WIOA’s capacity-building challenges for local workforce Title I workforce services, and adults who lack boards, given the difficulties many such pathway a HSD/E are targets for both Title I and Title II programs face in equitably2 serving adults with services. Given that foreign-born individuals basic skills needs. Integrated education and are significantly over-represented among those training models must also comply with immigra- with no HSD/E in the three age bands, services tion status3 restrictions placed on Title I-funded created with these funds should be targeted programs. However, while those who lack work in equitable measure to meet their needs. This authorization are not eligible for WIOA-funded will represent a shift for local systems that workforce services, all refugees and the major- heretofore have not prioritized those with basic ity of New York City immigrants legally reside in Tableskills needs2. Educational (whether Attainmentnative- or foreign of New born) York City theResidents United States(ages 16and and are older), therefore by Nativity,eligible for 2010-14 Total Native Born Foreign Born Educational Attainment Number Number Percent Number Percent Population ages 16 to 18 299,000 243,000 100% 56,000 100% Not enrolled and no high school 13,000 9,000 4% 4,000 6% diploma or equivalent Population ages 19 to 24 744,000 545,000 100% 199,000 100% With at least high school diploma 643,000 480,000 88% 163,000 82% or equivalent Without high school diploma or 101,000 65,000 12% 36,000 18% equivalent Enrolled in school 24,000 18,000 27% 6,000 17% Not enrolled in school and not 46,000 34,000 52% 12,000 32% employed Not enrolled in school and 31,000 13,000 20% 18,000 51% employed Population ages 25 and older 5,706,000 2,967,000 100% 2,739,000 100% Less than high school diploma or 1,145,000 380,000 13% 765,000 28% equivalent High school diploma or equivalent 1,395,000 678,000 23% 717,000 26% Some college or associate's 1,177,000 674,000 23% 503,000 18% degree Bachelor's, graduate, or 1,989,000 1,235,000 42% 754,000 28% professional degree Foreign college-educated X X X 399,000 53% Note: New York City includes Bronx County, Kings County, New York County, Queens County, and Richmond County. All num- bers are rounded to the nearest thousand; calculations in the text use absolute numbers. Source: MPI analysis of pooled 2010-14 ACS. 3 Migration Policy Institute Title I as well as Title II services, which are4 not indicating that 55 percent of New York City’s subject to immigration status restrictions.