Jonas Helgertz

This paper explores the role of migrant networks on the occupa-tional earnings of Swedish male immigrants in the United Statesfrom 1900 to 1920. Using data from full-count U.S. censuses, weconstruct various measurements of migrant networks based on theshare of Swedish, other Scandinavian, and other foreign-born indi-viduals at both the county and neighborhood levels. To define theneighborhood levels, we exploit the fact that the historical U.Scensuses typically enumerated next-door neighbors followingeach other in census forms. The findings reveal a nuanced relation-ship between migrant networks and economic outcomes.Specifically, residing in counties with a high concentration ofSwedish or other Scandinavian immigrants is linked to lower occu-pational earnings, consistent with prior research. In contrast, livingin neighborhoods with a substantial presence of Swedish or otherScandinavian-born individuals is associated with higher occupa-tional earnings. Importantly, these effects are entirely driven byurban areas, where migrant networks appear to facilitate bettereconomic opportunities. In rural areas, no significant networkeffects are observed. These findings highlight the importance ofconsidering spatial dimensions and varying levels of social proxi-mity when studying migrant networks. By broadening the defini-tion of these networks, this paper offers a deeper understanding oftheir role in shaping the economic assimilation of immigrants.