GETTING A JOB, GETTING TO WORK: HIDDEN INEQUALITY IN SPATIAL MISMATCH AMONG US ETHNORACIAL GROUPS

Abstract

Despite the growing size of Asian and Hispanic populations in the United States (U.S.), the literature on spatial mismatch, which focuses on the physical distance between housing and employment opportunity, largely continues to focus on blacks and whites. The limited work that does incorporate Hispanic or Asian Americans, fails to account for subpopulation heterogeneity within those groups. This dissertation explores the exposure to, determinants of, and implications of spatial mismatch among Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, and Vietnamese, while simultaneously revisiting the literature on blacks and whites. I incorporate data from the U.S. census, the American Community Survey, and Zip Code Business Patterns to produce measurements of spatial mismatch across all MSAs in the U.S. I then evaluate the role of residential segregation from whites, suburbanization, and access to high value zip codes as determinants of exposure to spatial mismatch among these groups. Finally, I present descriptive estimates of the relationship between spatial mismatch and labor force outcomes: labor force participation, employment, and weekly wages. I find meaningful differences in exposure to spatial mismatch among Asian and Hispanic subpopulations. Relative to the average black American, the average Cuban and Vietnamese American experience more spatial mismatch. I also find that the determinants of spatial mismatch differ across groups. Residential segregation is a key predictor of spatial mismatch for blacks only, while access to high value housing is a key determinant of spatial mismatch among almost all groups. Finally, descriptive analysis suggests that spatial mismatch is consequential for wages and employment outcomes for most groups. Taken together, these findings indicate that further research on spatial mismatch among all minority groups in the U.S. is warranted.