Discrimination & Social Mobility Among Refugees In the US

Background and Purpose: Amid increasing public policy changes that affect access to social welfare programs and services, refugees are required to navigate institutions that may reproduce structural inequities. It is therefore critical to understand how sex and country of origin shape experiences of discrimination and how these experiences influence educational and occupational opportunities during the early stages of resettlement. This analysis examines whether discrimination constrains refugees’ ability to benefit from institutional systems central to socioeconomic integration and upward mobility.

Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of data collected by the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration for Children and Families. Participants were randomly selected from refugees entering the United States between 2018 and 2023. The analytic sample was restricted to primary respondents (N = 1,507), excluding information reported for other household members. The primary independent variable was self- reported discrimination, assessed as unfair treatment in educational institutions, healthcare settings, workplaces, public spaces, and other environments. Two multivariable logistic regression models were estimated to examine associations with (1) past-week employment status (yes/no) and (2) whether current employment aligned with educational attainment and professional credentials (aligned/not aligned). Additional analyses examined variation by sex and country of origin. Covariates included sex and country of origin. All models used selection probabilities and jackknife replicate weights to account for survey design effects.

Results: Refugees who reported discrimination had 40% lower odds of reporting employment aligned with their education level or credentials (aOR = 0.60, p < .001). In contrast, discrimination was not significantly associated with past-week employment status. These findings suggest that discrimination may shape the quality rather than the presence of employment during early resettlement. Specifically, refugees experiencing discrimination may still obtain employment but are less likely to secure positions commensurate with their education and professional training. This pattern suggests that structural discrimination may operate through underemployment and occupational mismatch rather than complete exclusion from the labor market. Secondary findings indicated that refugees from Middle Eastern countries (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria) had higher odds of unemployment, with females from these countries representing the group at greatest risk at 50% lower odds of employment (aOR = 0.50, p < .001). Educational opportunity and attainment were not significantly associated with reported discrimination.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings situate individual experiences within broader political and socio-cultural contexts to better understand refugee integration in the United States. Results suggest that underemployment among refugees is shaped not only by experiences of discrimination but also by structural factors related to sex and country of origin, with women from certain regions facing heightened vulnerability. Such an occupational mismatch may delay economic stability, limit credential utilization, and reduce long-term upward mobility during the critical first years of resettlement. Findings have implications for social work practice and policy, particularly the development of targeted employment programs, credential reaccreditation pathways, and workforce navigation supports that are responsive to both discrimination-related barriers and the intersecting challenges faced by refugee women and specific country-of-origin groups.