Researchers surveyed over 200 young immigrants across the U.S. to understand and record their unique challenged in starting their careers.
We heard from young immigrants across industries — business, healthcare, engineering, and more — about their common thread — navigating the U.S. job market as an outsider. The report shows that young immigrants face five major roadblocks, from a lack of networks to communication barriers, while navigating the U.S. labor market and pathway to self-sufficiency.
Key findings include:
- Identifying their place in the U.S. market: 71% had difficulty evaluating which career paths, professional courses, or credential evaluations were worth pursuing.
- Accessing and valuing professional networks: 85% of all jobs are filled through networking, but only 50% of study respondents used networking as a job search method.
- Communicating about their job skills and history in professional-level English: While 22% mention English proficiency as a barrier, 43% asked for targeted support on cultural differences, industry lingo, and professional communication.
- Possessing little U.S. work experience: Only 17% of participants had any U.S. work experience in their field of specialization, facing many U.S. employers that don’t recognize overseas education and experience.
- Finding the time for a job search: 65% report having less than five hours per week to look for a job.
“It’s difficult to balance work and life for everyone — for immigrants, it’s even harder. You have your survival work that you need to do, then you come back from work [and] start looking for a job that you really want.”
— Survey participant
