PREDICTORS OF ECONOMIC-STATUS OF SOUTHEAST-ASIAN REFUGEES - IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

Predictors of the economic status of Southeast Asian refugees in Calif ornia were investigated using data from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing Public Use Microdata Sample, which is a 1 percent stratifi ed random sample of California residents. Three indicators of economic status were examined: employment status, public assistance use, and h ousehold income. A regression model consisting of 18 independent varia bles yielded a 20 percent improvement in prediction of employment stat us and a 6 percent improvement in prediction of public assistance use and explained 37 percent of the variance in household income. The most important predictors of Southeast Asian refugees' economic status wer e education, citizenship, and ethnicity. The results suggest several i mplications for improving Southeast Asian refugees' economic status. S pecific recommendations for resettlement policies, programs, and pract ices are discussed.