Asian American and Pacific Islander Workers Today

Issue Brief
May 2015
Asian American and Pacific Islander Workers

Today
By Nicole Woo and Cherrie Bucknor*
This issue brief looks at the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data available1 to provide an overview
of the demographics and economic status of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
workforce in the United States. A key theme that runs throughout this analysis is that the AAPI
workforce is exceptionally diverse, so much so that average statistics obscure many important facts
about this population.
There are about 8.9 million AAPI workers in the United States.2 This is about 20 times more than
in 1960, when the Decennial census counted less than half a million AAPI workers.3 Of that total,
about 8.5 million are Asian Americans and about 450,000 are Pacific Islanders. At 6.1 percent,
AAPIs share of the U.S. workforce is ten times larger than it was in 1960, when AAPIs comprised
only about 0.6 percent of U.S. workers.
AAPI workers hail from dozens of ethnic and national backgrounds (Figure 1). The largest ethnic
groups within the Asian American workforce are Chinese (1.7 million), Filipino (1.5 million), and
Asian Indian (1.6 million), followed by Vietnamese (over 800,000) and Korean (about 700,000). The
plurality of Pacific Islander workers identify as being of two or more races (over 200,000), while the
largest single ethnic Pacific Islander groups are Native Hawaiian (almost 70,000) and Samoan (about
40,000).
1
2
3
For details about data sources and methodology, see Rho, Schmitt, et al. 2011. Diversity and Change: Asian American and
Pacific Islander Workers. Washington, DC: Center for Economic and Policy Research. Available at
http://www.cepr.net/publications/reports/diversity-and-change.
CEPR analysis of American Community Survey (ACS), 2013.
CEPR analysis of CEPR extract of Decennial Census PUMS.
Center for Economic and Policy Research

1611 Connecticut Ave. NW
Suite 400
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www.cepr.net
Nicole Woo is Director of Domestic Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. Cherrie Bucknor is
a Research Associate at CEPR. This data was originally compiled for and presented at Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965:
the Gateway to America for New Immigrants from Asia, an Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month event presented by the
Department of Labor Asian Pacific American Council on May 13, 2015.
FIGURE 1
Distribution of AAPI Workers, by Ethnicity, Ages 16+, 2013
ASIAN AMERICAN
Chinese
Asian Indian
Filipino
Vietnamese
Korean
Two or more races
Japanese
Pakistani
Combination of Asian groups
Cambodian
Hmong
Laotian
Thai
Taiwanese
Bangladeshi
Other Asian
Burmese
Nepalese
Indonesian
Sri Lankan
Bhutanese
Malaysian
Mongolian
8,478
1,727
1,610
1,461
838
701
637
389
171
141
123
104
96
91
77
72
55
48
47
34
24
13
12
6
PACIFIC ISLANDER
Two or more races
Native Hawaiian
Samoan
Other NH and PI
Guamanian or Chamorro
Fijian
Tongan
Combination of Asian/PI
Marshallese
450
239
69
41
30
26
16
13
9
7
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
Thousands
Source: CEPR analysis of American Community Survey (ACS), 2013.
Not surprisingly, four out of 10 (40.3 percent) AAPI workers reside in the Pacific region,4 which
includes the West Coast states, Alaska, and Hawaii (Figure 2). Thats followed by 23 percent of
AAPI workers living in the South and 20 percent in the Northeast.
For details about data sources and methodology, see Woo, Bucknor, and Schmitt. 2015. Asian American and Pacific Islander
Workers Union Membership. Washington, DC: Center for Economic and Policy Research. Available at
http://www.cepr.net/publications/reports/aapi-union-membership-2015-01.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Workers Today
FIGURE 2
Regions of Residence of AAPI Workers by Percent, Ages 16+, 20102014
45
40.3
40
35
Percent
30
25
20
23
20
15
11.9
10
4.8
5
0
Northeast
Midwest
South
West
Pacific
Source: CEPR analysis of CEPR extract of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group, 2010-2014.
California leads the states with the largest share of the AAPI workforce: about three out of 10 reside
there (Figure 3). Almost one in 10 live in New York. The next three states with the highest
numbers of AAPI workers are Texas (6.8 percent), Hawaii (5.0 percent), and New Jersey (4.6
percent).
FIGURE 3
States of Residence of AAPI Workers by Percent, Ages 16+, 20102014
50
44.6
45
40
Percent
35
30
29.8
25
20
15
9.2
10
6.8
4.6
Hawaii
New Jersey
0
California
New York
Texas
All other states
Source: CEPR analysis of CEPR extract of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group, 2010-2014.
Just over seven out of 10 AAPI workers were born outside the United States (Figure 4), while just
under half of Latino workers are immigrants. In addition, the diversity among AAPI ethnic
subgroups is very large. For example, over 95 percent of Bhutanese, Nepalese, Burmese workers are
immigrants, while only about 40 percent of Japanese workers were born outside the United States.
FIGURE 4
Immigrant AAPI Workers as Share of AAPI Workforce, by Ethnicity, Ages 16+, 2013
ASIAN AMERICAN
Bhutanese
Nepalese
Burmese
Mongolian
Bangladeshi
Sri Lankan
Asian Indian
Indonesian
Pakistani
Malaysian
Vietnamese
Thai
Korean
Taiwanese
Chinese
Laotian
Filipino
Cambodian
Other specified Asian
Hmong
Combination of Asian
Japanese
Two or more races
74.1
24.7
PACIFIC ISLANDER
Fijian
Marshallese
Tongan
Other NH and PI
Two or more races
Combination of
Samoan
Guamanian or
Native Hawaiian
AAPI
White
Black
Latino
21.1
1.9
1.8
4.2
39.6
52.6
48.1
67.9
67.7
100.0
98.3
97.1
93.6
91.8
90.8
88.7
88.2
86.8
84.5
83.0
80.3
80.0
79.8
78.3
75.4
74.8
62.3
50.6
18.0
16.3
13.4
88.8
86.6
71.4
12.5
20
47.7
40
60
80
100
Percent
Despite the large share of immigrants in the AAPI workforce, almost three-quarters (74.0 percent)
of AAPI workers are U.S. citizens (Figure 5). In fact, they are slightly more likely to be citizens than
Latino workers (68.7 percent). Again, the range between AAPI ethnic subgroups is wide. For
example, close to all Native Hawaiian (98.9 percent) and Guamanian or Chamorro (99.8 percent)
workers are U.S. citizens, while less than one-quarter of Nepalese (22.6 percent), Marshallese (20.1
percent), and Bhutanese (7.3 percent) are citizens as well.
FIGURE 5
U.S. Citizen AAPI Workers as Share of AAPI Workforce, by Ethnicity, Ages 16+, 2013
ASIAN AMERICAN
Two or more races
Combination of Asian
Hmong
Cambodian
Vietnamese
Laotian
Filipino
Taiwanese
Korean
Pakistani
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Bangladeshi
Sri Lankan
Asian Indian
Indonesian
Malaysian
Mongolian
Burmese
Nepalese
Bhutanese
72.7
22.6
7.3
PACIFIC ISLANDER
Native Hawaiian
Combination of Asian/PI
Samoan
Two or more races
Other NH and PI
Fijian
Tongan
Marshallese
35.0
30.5
47.9
42.3
58.6
90.8
89.0
86.4
84.7
82.7
80.5
77.8
77.2
73.8
72.7
72.5
71.0
70.7
70.0
68.6
64.5
89.4
99.8
98.9
98.5
94.5
93.5
61.0
59.7
56.2
20.1
AAPI
White
Black
Latino
74.0
68.7
0
20
40
60
80
98.3
95.0
100
Percent
AAPIs work across a wide spectrum of industries. For AAPI women, five of the top 20 industries
(Table 1) are in the health-care arena (hospitals, physicians offices, nursing care, outpatient care and
home health care). For AAPI male workers, restaurants are the top-ranked industry (Table 2),
followed by a varied selection of both high- and low-income industries.
TABLE 1
Top 20 Industries of Female AAPI Workers, Age 16+, 2013
Rank
Industry
1
Hospitals
2
Restaurants and Other Food Services
3
College, Universities, and Professional Schools, including Junior Colleges
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Nail Salons and Other Personal Care Services
6
Banking and Related Activities
7
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
8
Grocery Stores
9
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
10
Traveler Accommodation
11
Office of Physicians
12
Nursing Care Facilities
13
Department and Discount Stores
14
Outpatient Care Centers
15
Individual and Family Services
16
Other Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
17
Beauty Salons
18
Clothing Stores
19
Child Day Care Services
20
Home Health Care Services
Other Industries, Total
Source: CEPR analysis of American Community Survey, 2013.
TABLE 2
Top 20 Industries of Male AAPI Workers, Age 16+, 2013
Rank
Industry
1
Restaurants and Other Food Services
2
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
3
College, Universities, and Professional Schools, including Junior Colleges
4
Hospitals
5
Construction
6
Grocery Stores
7
Electronic Components and Products
8
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
9
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
10
Banking and Related Activities
11
Securities, Commodities, Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Investments
12
Elementary and Secondary Schools
13
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
14
Traveler Accommodation
15
Other Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
16
Office of Physicians
17
Real Estate
18
National Security and International Affairs
19
Department and Discount Stores
20
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities
Other Industries, Total
Source: CEPR analysis of American Community Survey, 2013.
Percent of AAPI Workers

9.8
7.1
4.5
4.4
2.8
2.4
2.4
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.3
46.2
Percent of AAPI Workers

7.6
6.8
4.5
4.3
3.4
2.3
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.7
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.0
1.0
51.7
Along with the entire U.S. workforce, AAPI workers unemployment rates have declined since the
recession.5 While the average unemployment rate for all AAPIs is as low as that of white workers,
the range of rates among AAPI ethnic subgroups is very wide (Figure 6). For example, the
unemployment rates of Tongans and Samoans are higher than that of black workers. Meanwhile, the
unemployment rate of Japanese workers is practically half that of white workers.
FIGURE 6
Unemployment Rate, AAPI Workers, by Ethnicity, Ages 16+, 2013
ASIAN AMERICAN
Bhutanese
Mongolian
Sri Lankan
Cambodian
Nepalese
Burmese
Hmong
Bangladeshi
Laotian
Pakistani
Two or more races
Combination of
Filipino
Vietnamese
Chinese
Asian Indian
Korean
Taiwanese
Indonesian
Thai
Japanese
Malaysian
PACIFIC ISLANDER
Tongan
Samoan
Marshallese
Guamanian or
Native Hawaiian
Other NH and PI
Fijian
Two or more races
Combination of
6.6
1.8
3.5
8.2
7.7
7.5
7.3
6.7
6.6
6.4
5.9
5.8
5.2
5.0
4.9
11.1
10.8
10.3
9.9
9.8
9.8
9.3
14.1
13.8
10.4
8.0
2.4
AAPI
White
Black
Latino
9.5
11.5
10.9
14.3
14.2
6.8
6.8
15.1
9.5
0
10
21.8
16.4
15
Percent
20
25
Looking at how educational attainment and unemployment rates interact for AAPI workers (Figure
7), it is not surprising that higher levels of education correlate with lower unemployment rates.
Interestingly, however, Pacific Islanders unemployment rates are higher than those of their AsianAmerican counterparts at all educational levels.
5
For a detailed analysis, see U.S. Department of Labor. 2014. The Economic Status of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in
the Wake of the Great Recession. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.
FIGURE 7
Unemployment Rate of AAPI Workers, Ages 16+, by Educational Attainment, 2013
3.7
3.3
3.3
Advanced
Pacific Islander
College
5.6
5.7
Asian American
8.2
Asian American and

Pacific Islanders
8.8
8.5
8.6
Some College
High School
13.4
8.3
8.9
LTHS
17.2
10.4
10.8
0
10
Percent
15
20
Source and notes: CEPR analysis of American Community Survey (ACS), 2013. LTHS indicates less than a high
school diploma.
While AAPI workers aggregate poverty rate is almost as low as that of white workers (Figure 8),
the variance of rates among AAPI ethnic subgroups is very large, from half to six times the average
AAPI poverty rate. In addition, the fact that AAPI workers are more likely to live in states with high
costs of living may mask some financial hardship among them.
FIGURE 8
AAPI Workers in Poverty, by Ethnicity, Ages 16+, 2013
ASIAN AMERICAN
Bhutanese
Burmese
Nepalese
Mongolian
Hmong
Bangladeshi
Two or more races
Pakistani
Cambodian
Other Asian
Malaysian
Thai
Vietnamese
Chinese
Combination of Asian groups
Indonesian
Korean
Sri Lankan
Taiwanese
Asian Indian
Japanese
Laotian
Filipino
5.8
9.6
9.4
8.9
8.7
8.7
8.6
7.8
7.1
6.5
6.0
5.8
5.1
4.3
3.7
3.3
3.1
3.1
PACIFIC ISLANDER
Marshallese
Other NH and PI
Tongan
Native Hawaiian
Samoan
Two or more races
Fijian
17.6
16.6
16.2
13.3
11.8
21.8
8.1
9.4
9.3
6.6
6.4
2.5
AAPI
White
Black
Latino
5.9
5.3
29.6
13.6
12.5
11.6
12.0
10
15
20
25
30
35
Percent
AAPI workers median annual earnings are the highest among the major racial/ethnic groups
(Figure 9), surpassing that of white workers. At the same time, AAPI workers exhibit the greatest
inequality of earnings between workers at the 10th and 90th percentiles of the wage range. In
addition, the diversity among AAPI subgroups is great. While a handful of subgroups (especially
Laotian, Hmong, Tongan, and Marshallese) are compressed at the bottom of the wage scale, other
subgroups (especially Asian Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Taiwanese) include workers at both
the extreme low and high ends of the wage range.
FIGURE 9
Annual Earnings of AAPI Workers, By Selected Wage Percentiles and Ethnicity. Thousands of Dollars, FullTime and Full-Year, Ages 16+, 2013.
Asian Indian
Pakistani
Sri Lankan
Taiwanese
Malaysian
Chinese
Bangladeshi
Korean
Japanese
Vietnamese
Bhutanese
Burmese
Filipino
Thai
Indonesian
Nepalese
Mongolian
Cambodian
Laotian
Hmong
Fijian
Native Hawaiian
Samoan
Tongan
Marshallese
AAPI
White
Black
Latino
0
20
40
60
90th
50th
80
100
120
140
160
180
10th
With such diversity within the AAPI workforce, aggregate data obscure many important facts about
this population. The tremendous variance among AAPI ethnic subgroups underscores the
importance of maintaining and developing disaggregated data sources. Without such detailed data, it
would be almost impossible to gain an accurate understanding of AAPI workers.
10

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