TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Cai, Zhengyu
AU  - Winters, John V.
        TI  - Self-Employment Differentials among Foreign-Born STEM and Non-STEM Workers
        PY  - 2017/Apr/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 10688
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp10688
        AB  - This paper uses the American Community Survey to examine the previously overlooked fact that foreign STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) graduates have much lower self-employment rates than their non-STEM counterparts, with an unconditional difference of 3.3 percentage points. We find empirical support for differing earnings opportunities as a partial explanation for this self-employment gap. High wages in STEM paid-employment combined with reduced earnings in self-employment make self-employment less desirable for STEM graduates. High self-employment rates among other foreign-born workers partially reflect weak paid-employment opportunities. Public policy should encourage efficient use of worker skills rather than low-value business venture creation.

        KW  - self-employment
KW  - immigration
KW  - foreign-born
KW  - college major
KW  - STEM
KW  - earnings
        ER  -