LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION - LESSONS FROM ISRAEL

The paper shows that characteristics of immigrants at the time of immi gration affect both long-term occupational achievements and income at the end of the labor force career, after age 59. Data representing 174 ,000 Jewish males 60 and older from a 1985 survey by the Israeli Centr al Bureau of Statistics are analyzed to show how the timing of immigra tion, the number of years in the country, age at immigration, country of origin, and educational resources at time of immigration are relate d to years in the labor force in the host country, occupational achiev ement, pension entitlement and income after age 59. Both direct and in direct effects are analyzed. The results show the importance of immigr ation characteristics on long-term socioeconomic adjustment, and the n ecessity of considering social status over the life course as an indic ator of long-term immigrant adjustment. Decomposition of the effect of country of origin pinpoints what characteristics at time of immigrati on influence social status differences in ethnic groups at older ages. The discussion includes a number of methodological implications for f uture studies in immigration.