The Household and Class Formation: Determinants of Residential Location in Ciudad Juaréz

Abstract

An increasing number of jobs in the Ciudad Juárez-El Paso region is directly attributable to the growth of export-oriented manufacturing activity. These jobs, particularly those in Ciudad Juarez, tend to be at the bottom of the production hierarchy, low-skilled, and impermanent. Sectoral diversification in the regional labor market is being accompanied by homogenization of skills required for available jobs. Analysis of a survey of 1236 households in Ciudad Juárez indicates how they are responding to the changing character of labor demand. The households most directly affected by the industrialization process, those of the maquiladora or assembly-plant work force, arc compared with other types of households in the city. In addition, determinants of income in spatial sectors of the city are analyzed.