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Arendt, Jacob Nielsen (2024): Welfare Benefit Generosity and Refugee Integration. In: International migration review, Jg. 58, H. 2, S. 706-733. DOI:10.1177/01979183231160713

Abstract

"This study examines how welfare benefit generosity impacts refugees' integration into their new country. The effects of welfare benefit generosity are identified from a policy reform that reduced welfare benefits, first for newly arrived refugees, and second for those who had been in the country for at least 10 months. The results suggest that refugees respond quickly to the benefit reduction, but men and women react on different margins. Male refugees enter employment faster when they experience a benefit reduction, whereas no effect on the labor market is found for female refugees. Even though some men succeed in finding a job, both men and women experience a drop in disposable income of 20 percent. This seems to adversely affect women as they seek more health care, are more often hospitalized, and are more often charged with property crimes. No such unintended effects are found for men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Calo, Francesca, Tom Montgomery & Simone Baglioni (2024): “You have to work…but you can't!”: Contradictions of the Active Labor Market Policies for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, H. 3, S. 638-656. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000502

Abstract

"The discourse of deservingness has been mobilized against certain groups in the UK society navigating UK labor markets, among them refugees and asylum seekers. These discourses, leading to the stigmatisation of the unemployed are coupled with an emphasis on the importance of individuals taking responsibility to develop their ‘employability’. Little attention has been paid to scrutinise the contrast between the deservingness rhetoric and policy making with the actual conditions newcomers, and in particular refugees and asylum seekers, are confronted with when seeking employment. Our paper fills such a gap by indicating key contradictions at the heart of labor market integration in the UK. On the one hand, the emphasis on deservingness is coupled with policy discourses that construct an environment shaped by welfare and labor market chauvinism. On the other hand, the policy architecture is fundamentally flawed in a number of ways in terms of the support mechanisms necessary to ensure that newcomers can successfully integrate into the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark, Ulrika Vikman & Gülay Özcan (2024): Labor market integration of refugees: RCT evidence from an early intervention program in Sweden. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 217, S. 614-630. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2023.11.026

Abstract

"This study uses a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a new program for increased labor market integration of refugees. The new program starts shortly after the residence permit is granted and uses three main components: early and intensive language training, work practice with supervisors, and job search assistance performed by professional caseworkers. The immediate and intensive assistance contrasts previous integration policies which typically constitute low-intensive help over long periods of time. We find large positive effects on employment of the program, with magnitudes corresponding to around 15 percentage points. A mediation analysis shows that 7–8 percent of the impact of the program seems to be explained by increases in documented language skills. Cost estimates suggest that the new policy is less expensive than earlier labor market programs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Ek, Simon, Mats Hammarstedt & Per Skedinger (2024): Low-skilled jobs, language proficiency, and job opportunities for refugees: an experimental study. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 126, H. 2, S. 355-386. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12549

Abstract

"In a field experiment, we study the causal effects of previous experience and language skills when newly arrived Syrian refugees in Sweden apply for low ‐skilled jobs. We find no evidence of sizable effects from previous experience or completed language classes on the probability of receiving a callback from employers. However, female applicants were more likely than males to receive a positive response. As a complement to the experiment, we interview a select number of employers, which provides additional insights into how they judge candidates for low‐skilled jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Foged, Mette, Linea Hasager & Giovanni Peri (2024): Comparing the Effects of Policies for the Labor Market Integration of Refugees. In: Journal of labor economics, Jg. 42, H. S1, S. S335-S377. DOI:10.1086/728806

Abstract

"This paper reviews, reanalyzes, and extends to the long run the estimated effects of integration polices on the employment probability and earnings of refugees in Denmark. We first describe the dynamics of labor market outcomes of refugees in Denmark. We then find that increased language training and initial placement in strong labor markets improved refugees' long-run labor market outcomes, while cutting initial welfare payments and placing refugees near other refugees did not improve them. Policies focused on matching refugees with occupations experiencing shortages have positive short-run effects, but we cannot yet assess their long-run effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gundacker, Lidwina, Sekou Keita & Simon A. Ruhnke (2024): Unequal access to protection? Selection patterns over arrival cohorts of Syrians seeking refuge in Lebanon, Turkey, and Germany. In: Frontiers in Human Dynamics, Jg. 5, S. 1-18., 2023-12-19. DOI:10.3389/fhumd.2023.1171885

Abstract

"An ample scholarly literature on voluntary migration has shown that migration is a highly selective process, resulting in migrant populations that often differ significantly from their respective population of origin in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics. The literature attributes these differences to either migrants' active choice and agency in the migration decision (i.e., self-selection), or to selectively applied external constraints. Although the socio-demographic make-up of forced migrant populations has received significant attention in public discourses in receiving countries such as Germany and Turkey, the literature on migrant selection largely focuses on voluntary migration and self-selection mechanisms. As a result, the selection mechanisms of forcibly displaced persons are less well-understood. Particularly in the context of forced migration, the conditions for migration fluctuate heavily within a relatively short time span, e.g., regarding immigration policies and border controls. In this study we contribute to that literature by exploring the changing conditions under which Syrians sought international humanitarian protection between 2013 and 2017 and linking them to the selection outcomes in three major receiving countries: Lebanon, Turkey, and Germany. Based on novel household survey data, we compare age, gender, socio-economic background, and family context of the Syrian populations in Lebanon, Turkey, and Germany by arrival cohort (2013–2017). In a narrative approach, we combinethe cohort analysis of Syrians in Lebanon, Turkey, and Germany with contextual analyses of the (changing) frameworks governing refugee migration in transit and destination countries and descriptive analyses of changing risk levels along migration routes into Europe. Our analyses reveal that higher external barriers coincide with a stronger selection in migrants' socio-demographic make-up. In particular, riskier routes and higher entry barriers are associated with a lower share of female migrants, a lower share traveling with family members, and a higher socio-economic background. In this study, we describe differences in forced migrants' selection outcomes in countries of first refuge neighboring the origin country, relative to a reception country in the global north. By establishing legal and political frameworks as well as the accessibility of routes as external barriers to forced migration we expand on the existing theoretical approaches to selection effects and identify a need for policy intervention to ensure equitable access to humanitarian protection." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gusejnova, Dina, Alina Dragolea, Andrea Pető, Andrei-Vlăduț Terteleac, Artemis Photiadou & Rebeka Bakos (2024): Rewarding mobility? Towards a realistic European policy agenda for academics at risk. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 12. DOI:10.1186/s40878-024-00362-7

Abstract

"This article maps from a critical and comparative perspective how scholars at risk are currently being integrated into the European research infrastructure, as well as in various EU and non-EU Member States. The focus is on three countries ranging from older to newer EU members to one non-EU member state—Hungary, Romania and the United Kingdom—as well as on EU-level organizations. We draw on twelve in-depth interviews conducted with key stakeholders involved in the process of academic migration (non-governmental organisations, EU and national level actors) to identify key issues concerning academics at risk. Finally, we call for a robust EU-level response to an issue that is currently inadequately addressed by national governments, professional associations and NGOs. As we argue, the focus on mobility as a factor supporting research excellence in the regular European research infrastructure can have negative unintended outcomes for scholars at risk. For many of them, rewarding mobility can entail the threat of losing their legal status in temporary places of migration. What is needed is a nuanced approach for scholars at risk in a diverse range of situations, which should involve closer cooperation between international academic bodies and EU policy makers, and complement support for those who need to escape to third countries with the offer of remote work in the country where they are able to obtain a secure residence permit." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Harbisch, Amelie (2024): Children or productive adults? Infantilisation and exploitation of refugees in Germany and Austria. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 50, H. 6, S. 1590-1608. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2023.2166908

Abstract

"The persisting poor labor market integration of refugees and asylum seekers is puzzling, especially given host states' declared desirability of refugees and asylum seekers being employed. Existing research on the determinants of refugees' lack of labor market integration has analyzed possible factors such as refugee health and education as well as host countries' policies and discrimination. Based on original ethnographic data generated in Berlin and Vienna in 2019, I argue that the poor labor market integration can be better understood when we consider colliding perceptions, called scripts, of refugees and asylum seekers: At the same time that they are constructed as potentially useful labor, they are also constructed as helpless children who can never quite be ready for the labor market. I present each script's ascriptions and prescriptions towards refugees and asylum seekers, show how these are enacted by the people subjected to them and analyse how disruptions occur when there are simultaneous, contradictory demands. Policy implications are that the host society's perceptions do matter and that integration measures must be reviewed with regard to their potentially infantilising tendencies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Riemsdijk, Micheline Van (2024): Unpacking “the system”: Multi-level governance gaps in the labour market integration of highly skilled refugees. In: International Migration, Jg. 62, H. 2, S. 38-52. DOI:10.1111/imig.13246

Abstract

"A plethora of government- and non-government actors are involved in the labor market integration of highly skilled refugees, forming a complex “system” that is difficult to navigate for integration actors and refugees. Based on interviews with 32 labor market integration actors in Sweden, this article examines multi-level governance gaps in the wake of the simultaneous centralization and decentralization of labor market preparation services. It examines various “steps” in the labor market integration process to gain a more holistic perspective of “the system”, and identifies governance gaps in each step. The article finds that the devolution of services has opened up participatory spaces for non-government actors, but narrowly defined mandates and short-term funding mechanisms hamper cooperation within and between territorial levels of policy implementation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Schiele, Maximilian (2024): The Role of Gender in Asylum Migration to Europe: Analyzing Country-Level Factors of Gendered Selection of Asylum Seekers to Europe. In: Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies online erschienen am 12.01.2024, S. 1-16. DOI:10.1080/15562948.2023.2298515

Abstract

"While 50% of displaced individuals worldwide are female, women comprised only 31% of the people seeking asylum in Europe between 2008 and 2018. This study utilizes data from Eurostat on 5.6 million asylum-seekers between 2008 and 2018 to identify the country-level factors that drive this gendered selection. The effects are calculated using both a random effects panel model and a fixed effects panel model with clustered standard errors. The results suggest that country-level differences in the degree of gendered selection are largely driven by socio-demographic factors related to women’s social position within their country of origin." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Taylor & Francis) ((en))

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Tubergen, Frank van, Irena Kogan, Yuliya Kosyakova & Steffen Pötzschke (2024): Self-selection of Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons in Europe. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 37, H. 1, S. 72-96., 2023-11-09. DOI:10.1093/jrs/fead089

Abstract

"The literature on migrants’ self-selection is focused on labour migrants, while little is known about refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We contribute to this scant literature, by (1) examining a broad set of factors that could determine self-selection, (2) contrasting selfselection profiles of refugees and IDPs, and (3) comparing self-selection profiles of refugees across countries. Specifically, we compare the self-selection profiles of Ukrainian refugees and IDPs with stayers in the months directly following the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022. We draw on unique, cross-nationally comparative data from the OneUA project, which surveyed Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons in Europe as well as those who stayed in Ukraine in the summer of 2022. More than 24,000 Ukrainian women residing in nine countries participated in this survey. We find systematic empirical patterns of self-selection related to people’s region of origin, family status, and individual-level characteristics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Oxford University Press) ((en))

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Aerne, Annatina & Giuliano Bonoli (2023): Integration through vocational training. Promoting refugees' access to apprenticeships in a collective skill formation system. In: Journal of vocational education and training, Jg. 75, H. 3, S. 419-438. DOI:10.1080/13636820.2021.1894219

Abstract

"With this paper we want to contribute to the debate on the usage of vocational training as a tool to promote the integration of disadvantaged groups. We focus in particular on programmes that target refugees and highlight the organisational and coordination challenges that must be addressed in order to develop such programmes. Relying on knowledge developed by scholars of collective skill formation and by those who have studied policy coordination, we develop a number of hypotheses that can account for the successful implementation of this type of programmes. We then test our hypotheses against an example taken from Switzerland, consisting of a one-year pre-apprenticeship dual training programme adopted in 2018. We argue that its win-win quality, the flexibility with which it was managed and possibly also the political salience of the issue of refugee integration at the time, were the key factors explaining its successful adoption." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aigner, Petra & Almina Bešić (2023): Left to Their Own Devices: Refugees’ Labour-Market Integration Challenges in Austria during the Covid-19 Pandemic. In: M.-L. Jakobson, R. King, L. Moroşanu & R. Vetik (Hrsg.) (2023): Anxieties of Migration and Integration in Turbulent Times, S. 77-93. DOI:10.1007/978-3-031-23996-0_5

Abstract

"Labour-market integration is understood as an important pillar in the successful integration processes of refugees into host societies. In the European Union at large and in Austria specifically, refugee integration processes regarding societies and the labour market have become hotly debated topics in public and scholarly debates. Focusing on Austria, this chapter analyses challenges and barriers to labour-market integration of refugees in crisis and beyond. Results from interviews with refugees indicate three areas of the pandemic’s impact: on employment search processes of refugees; the effect of digitalisation of communication; and increased feelings of disorientation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aleynikova, Ekaterina & Max Mosley (2023): The Economic and Social Impacts of Lifting Work Restrictions on People Seeking Asylum. (NIESR discussion paper 549), London, 16 S.

Abstract

"This mixed-methods NIESR discussion paper estimates the economic and social impacts of lifting the right-to-work restriction on people seeking asylum in the UK. This is the first paper to simulate the effect of lifting this restriction with the use of a state-of-the-art macroeconomic model which allows us to estimate this outcome in a more holistic manner." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Andersen, Henrik L., Liv Osland & Meng Le Zhang (2023): Labour market integration of refugees and the importance of the neighbourhood: Norwegian quasi-experimental evidence. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 57. DOI:10.1186/s12651-023-00341-y

Abstract

"This paper exploits a quasi-experimental feature of the Norwegian spatial dispersal policy for UNHCR quota refugees, which leads to nearly as-if random initial residential settlement of the refugees. In this framework, we study if there are positive long-run employment consequences of being assigned to neighbourhoods with higher residential labour force participation rates. Our results show a positive and statistically significant relationship between the initial neighbourhood participation rates and refugee labour market outcomes, but these overall effects are substantively small: A one standard deviation higher participation rate in the initial neighbourhood is associated with an 1.2%-point increase in the refugees' later employment probability. However, our subgroup analysis shows substantial effects around 2.6%-points for men older than 25 years at the time of entry to Norway. In comparison, the point estimates for women and persons younger than 25 years at the time of arrival are close to zero and statistically insignificant." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Arendt, Jacob Nielsen & Iben Bolvig (2023): Trade-offs between work-first and language-first strategies for refugees. In: Economics of Education Review, Jg. 92. DOI:10.1016/j.econedurev.2022.102353

Abstract

"This study investigates how local integration strategies that prioritize a work-first approach affect refugee's participation in language courses and their medium run labor market outcomes. We utilize a gradual rollout of the work-first approach (on-the-job training within the first year after arrival) combined with a dispersal policy of refugees across municipalities in Denmark. We find that being placed in municipalities emphasizing the work-first approach is positively associated with later employment and earnings but show that the associations are temporary. A higher local propensity to use the work-first approach is negatively related to time spent in language courses, level of courses completed and the grade point average for language course exam attendees. We discuss whether the reduced language course attendance could be an explanation of the lack of a persistent labor market effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))

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Arendt, Jacob Nielsen, Christian Dustmann & Hyejin Ku (2023): Permanent Residency and Refugee Immigrants' Skill Investment. (CESifo working paper 10579), München, 46 S.

Abstract

"We analyze an immigration reform in Denmark that tightened refugee immigrants' eligibility criteria for permanent residency to incentivize their labor market attachment and acquisition of local language skills. Contrary to what the reform intended, the overall employment of those affected decreased while their average language proficiency remained largely unchanged. This was caused by a disincentive effect, where individuals with low pre-reform labor market performance reduced their labor supply. Our findings suggest that stricter permanent residency rules, rather than incentivizing refugees' skill investment, may decrease the efforts of those who believe they cannot meet the new requirements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aslund, Olof, Linus Liljeberg & Sara Roman (2023): The long-term integration of European refugees. Swedish experiences after the Yugoslav Wars. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2023,16), Uppsala, 35 S.

Abstract

"We study the short- and long-term economic and social integration of European war refugees. The population under study left former Yugoslavia for Sweden in the early 1990s. In the first years, there were significant human capital investments in language training, adult education, and active labor market programs. The Yugoslav refugees then exhibited a remarkably sharp increase in employment and earnings, possibly helped by improving labor markets and pre-existing contacts in Sweden. Many entered jobs in manufacturing and service industries and remained there to a considerable extent. Among those above 50 at arrival, labor market outcomes were not as good. Despite strong development during the early years, the long-term labor market position of the Yugoslavs is broadly on par with previous cohorts of refugees. Residential segregation first increased and then declined, whereas workplace segregation was most marked among the early entrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Berdiev, Aziz N. (2023): Finding refuge underground: effects of refugee inflows on the shadow economy. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 30, H. 1, S. 84-91. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2021.1976379

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the effect of refugee inflows on the shadow, or underground, economy of host nations using panel data for 120 countries over the 1991–2017 period. The results show that refugee inflows increase the size of the shadow economy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bernert-Bürkle, Andrea, Paolo Federighi & Francesca Torlone (Hrsg.) (2023): The Fast Track Labour Market Integration of Immigrants. Work-related Learning of Culture, Language and Profession. Bielefeld: wbv Publikation, 142 S. DOI:10.3278/9783763966899

Abstract

"Vorgestellt werden Ergebnisse des europäischen Modellprojekts TALENTS zur schnellen Integration von Migrant:innen und Geflüchteten in den ersten Arbeitsmarkt. Ausgehend von der Idee, dass Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt die gesellschaftliche Integration fördert, verbindet das Trainingsmodell Arbeitserfahrungen in Betriebspraktika mit sprachlichen, kulturellen und beruflichen Inhalten, die im Klassenverband erlernt werden. Die Autor:innen evaluieren die Ergebnisse des Trainingsmodells aus drei Jahren in Norwegen, Schweden und Deutschland. Die ausgewerteten Daten spiegeln die Erfahrungen von 400 Teilnehmenden. 20 Fallstudien ermöglichen detaillierte Analysen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bratu, Cristina, Linna Martén & Lillit Ottosson (2023): Individualized Benefits And Access To Active Labor Market Programs Boost Refugee Women's Economic Integration. (Working paper / Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) 2023,03), Stockholm, 16 S.

Abstract

"The economic and social integration of refugees is a key policy concern. The situation of refugee women is particularly challenging, as many never enter the labor force. We study a reform of the Swedish integration program that aimed to tackle this issue by increasing women’s participation in and access to active labor market programs. Using administrative data and a regression discontinuity design, we show that the reform resulted in lasting improvements in women’s earnings and employment. We find no effects for men. Additional analyses suggest that individualizing benefits and early registration with the Public Employment Service are key mechanisms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Buser, Fränzi, Selin Kilic & Rebecca Mörgen (2023): »Flucht in die unbezahlte Arbeit«? Arbeitsmarktintegration in der Schweiz aus der Perspektive geflüchteter Menschen. In: Zeitschrift für Migrationsforschung, Jg. 3. DOI:10.48439/zmf.221

Abstract

"Der Beitrag fokussiert die Frage, wie Menschen, die in die Schweiz geflüchtet sind, mit den an sie herangetragenen Integrationsanforderungen umgehen. Auf der Basis von qualitativen Interviews rekonstruieren wir unterschiedliche Strategien im Umgang mit Herausforderungen der Arbeitsmarktintegration. »Flucht in die unbezahlte Arbeit« deuten wir sowohl als Eröffnung von Handlungsmöglichkeiten, um strukturell bedingten Hindernissen zu begegnen, als auch als Aneignung neoliberaler Selbstoptimierungsstrategien, zu denen sich die Personen gezwungen sehen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark & Ulrika Vikman (2023): Long-run integration of refugees: RCT evidence from a Swedish early intervention program. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2023,23), Uppsala, 53 S.

Abstract

"This study uses a randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate a new program for increased labor market integration of refugees. The program has immediate and substantial short-run effects on employment, corresponding to around 15 percentage points. The effect lasts for three years but eventually fades out, as the control group catches up and reaches the long-run employment level of about 50 percent. We show that the program boosts language skills in the short run, and that this channel explains an increasing share of the effect on employment. Using survey data, we finally measure if the program affects integration in other dimensions, such as psychological, social, political, and navigational integration. Our findings suggest that faster labor market integration in the short run does not lead to increased general integration in the long run." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dimitriadis, Iraklis (2023): Refugees and asylum seekers in informal and precarious jobs: early labor market insertion from the perspectives of professionals and volunteers. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 43, H. 13/14, S. 263-277. DOI:10.1108/IJSSP-08-2023-0191

Abstract

"Purpose: This article aims to explore the engagement of refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) in informal and precarious jobs from a civil society actors' perspective. Despite a burgeoning literature on refugee integration and a focus on institutional integration programs, little is known about the early insertion of RAS into informal and precarious employment as an alternative to subsidised integration programs, when these are available. Design/methodology/approach This article draws on rich qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with social workers, volunteers and other professionals supporting migrants. Findings Data analysis shows that migrants' insertion in informal jobs and their rejection of integration programmes may be the result of people's need to access financial capital to cover actual and future needs. Although such an engagement may be criticised for hampering RAS’ integration, it can be seen as an important source of agency against insecurity surrounding one's legal status. Originality/value This article highlights the importance of legal status precarity in shaping informal workers' agency and perceptions of them, opening up a debate on the relevance of informal work in terms of long-term integration and future migration trajectories." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Dustmann, Christian, Rasmus Landersø & Lars Højsgaard Andersen (2023): Refugee Benefit Cuts. (CESifo working paper 10386), München, 89 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the effects of Denmark's Start Aid welfare reform that targets refugees. Implemented in 2002, it enables us to study not only the reform's immediate effects, but also its longer-term consequences, and its repeal a decade later. The reform-induced large transfer cuts led to an increase in employment rates, but only in the short run. Overall, the reform increased poverty rates and led to a rise in subsistence crime. Moreover, local demand conditions generate substantial heterogeneity in the reform's effects on immediate and longer-term employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Foged, Mette & Cynthia van der Werf (2023): Access to language training and the local integration of refugees. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 84. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2023.102366

Abstract

"This paper examines whether language classes raise refugees’ language proficiency and improve their socioeconomic integration. Our identification strategy leverages the opening, closing, and gradual expansion of local language training centers in Denmark, as well as the quasi-random assignment of the refugees to locations with varying proximity to a language training center. First, we show that refugees’ distance from the assigned language training center is as good as random conditional on initial placement. Second, we show that a one-hour decrease in commuting time increases the total hours of class attended by 46 to 71 hours. Third, we use this novel identification strategy to show that 100 additional hours of language class increases fluency in the Danish language by 8–9 percent, post-language training human capital acquisition by 11–13 percent and improve the integration of the refugees in the communities where they were initially placed, as measured by the lower exit rates from those same communities and an almost 70 percent reduction in mobility to the largest, most immigrant-dense cities in Denmark" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Jestl, Stefan, Michael Landesmann, Sebastian Leitner, Sandra M. Leitner, Isilda Mara & Maryna Tverdostup (2023): wiiw Studies on the Integration of Middle Eastern Refugees in Austria, Based on FIMAS Surveys and Register-based Labour Market Career Data. (WIIW policy notes and reports 74), Wien, 48 S.

Abstract

"This Policy Note reports on the analyzes undertaken in a number of wiiw Working Papers that are the output of two projects financed by the Anniversary Fund of the Austrian National Bank (Project no. 18474 and no. 17166). Four of the papers are based on survey data from the FIMAS dataset, which has been compiled over the years by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), together with wiiw, and which document the experiences of recent waves of refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The topics covered in these four papers are as follows. First, an analysis of the pattern of occupational status loss (or gain) that refugees experience in the course of the move from their home countries to the destination country (Austria), focusing on the move from the jobs they had prior to the move, to their first job in Austria and then to their second or current job. Second, an examination of the effectiveness of two of the labor market integration programs offered by the Austrian public employment service (AMS) the Competence Check and the Voluntary Integration Year program. Third, an investigation into the interrelationships between aspects of the 'social integration' and the 'labor market integration' of refugees. Fourth, an analysis of the factors determining (or related to) the mental health problems that this wave of refugees has had to cope with. A fifth paper is based on the register-based labor market career data provided by Statistics Austria it examines a number of issues (job entry, job quality, job stability) related to the trajectories of refugees' labor market experiences in Austria, compared to other non-European migrants from low- and medium-income countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jestl, Stefan & Maryna Tverdostup (2023): The Labor Market Entry and Integration of Refugees and Other Migrants in Austria. (WIIW working paper 231), Wien, 45 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the labor market entry of refugees and other (non-humanitarian) migrants originating from middle- and low-income non-European countries that arrived in Austria in 2014-2016. Specifically, we analyze factors that shaped the transition to and out of the first job in the Austrian labour market, document the characteristics of the first job and explore job stability in Austria. Even though refugees took longer to find a job, individual and household characteristics, as well as labor market indicators, are associated with the time between arrival and the first job in Austria, similar to other migrants. Refugees and other migrants also found similar job types as their entry jobs, which tended to be located in low-wage segments. The results, however, suggest that other migrants held their first job, on average, for a longer time than refugees. Although other migrants quit their first job relatively quickly when it was marginal employment, refugees tended to hold marginal jobs as long as full-time and part-time jobs. Finally, our results suggest that entry jobs with a higher quality in terms of working hours and wages (i.e. full-time jobs) tended to be linked with job stability, while entry jobs with a lower quality (i.e. marginal jobs) tended to be associated with job instability for both refugees and other migrants. The results of the paper showcase the importance of immediate access to various training and re-education programs for refugees to improve the quality of their entry jobs and their long-term prospects in the Austrian labour market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Khademi, Samaneh, Caroline Essers & Karin van Nieuwkerk (2023): Iranian Refugee Entrepreneurship and Inclusion in the Netherlands. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 36, H. 1, S. 105-127. DOI:10.1093/jrs/feac058

Abstract

"Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of entrepreneurship for migrants’ integration. Nonetheless, the impact of entrepreneurship on refugees’ inclusion and sense of belonging has been largely overlooked. This article explores how entrepreneurship contributes to the inclusion of Iranian refugee entrepreneurs, considering the different aspects of a refugee’s identity components such as ethnicity, age, class, gender, and religion. The life stories of 14 Iranian refugee entrepreneurs, who immigrated to the Netherlands in the 1980s and 1990s are analysed. We illustrate how different dimensions of their identity shape entrepreneurial motivations, resources, and entrepreneurial strategies. The results show that intersecting identity components impact Iranian refugee entrepreneurs’ sense of belonging. Notwithstanding the diverse ways in which individuals experience belonging, our study identifies three particular modes of belonging: hybrid, cosmopolitan, and transnational belonging. Drawing on interviews with individual refugee entrepreneurs, we conclude that entrepreneurship is a vehicle for greater acceptance and inclusion within the host society. Our study points to an urgent need to go beyond the integration paradigm by applying the concept of inclusion. The notion of inclusion enables us to gain a deeper understanding of refugees’ position in the labour market and the receiving society more broadly." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Leitner, Sandra M. (2023): Occupational Trajectories Among Refugees in Austria: The Role of Co-ethnic and Austrian Social Networks in Job Search. (WIIW working paper 232), Wien, 44 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses occupational trajectories of refugees from their last job in the home country to their first and current jobs in Austria and the role of co-ethnic and Austrian social networks in job search, using data from a large-scale survey of recognized refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran who have predominantly come to Austria since 2010, thereby covering the strong refugee wave of 2015 2016. The results corroborate a U-shaped pattern, with a sharp initial occupational loss followed by a rather moderate occupational recovery. Although native social networks play no role for occupational changes, co-ethnic social networks – particularly when used as a stand-alone job search strategy – prove detrimental along the entire trajectory. However, co-ethnic social networks are beneficial if used in combination with the Austrian labor market service or NGOs. Some refugees prove particularly vulnerable, such as older refugees or highly educated refugees who undergo more pronounced initial occupational downgrading, with subsequent occupational upgrading either limited or absent." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mara, Isilda (2023): Labour Market Integration Programmes for Refugees in Austria: Do they Really Work and for Whom? (WIIW working paper 234), Wien, 49 S.

Abstract

"In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of the participation of refugees in integration programs intended to help them gain employment. The specific programmes considered are the Competence Check program and the Integration Year program that were introduced in Austria around the time of the 2015 crisis, when refugees poured from the Middle East into the EU. The study is based on the fourth and fifth waves of a survey (FIMAS) of refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Syria in Austria, and it uses matching models to evaluate the effects on employment of participation in those two programs. More specifically, it applies multivariate matching methods that ensure better balancing properties between the control and the treated groups. We find especially positive effects of the programs on the employability of women, the poorly educated, younger and older age cohorts. These programs thus seem to work specifically for those that find themselves in a more vulnerable labor market situation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Muller-Dugic, José, Pascal J. Beckers & Mario H. Braakman (2023): A positive psychology intervention to foster economic integration of Syrian refugees in the Netherlands. In: International Migration, Jg. 61, H. 6, S. 242-261. DOI:10.1111/imig.13163

Abstract

"Research shows that the labour market integration of refugees is often problematic. Little is known about what kind of measures are effective to help them integrate into the labour market. In the Netherlands, a positive psychology intervention “Mosaic” for Syrian refugees was developed to support their economic participation. This study aims to assess the effect of “Mosaic” on the economic participation and work-related attitudes of Syrian refugees. “Mosaic” was implemented in six municipalities by conducting an RCT with a waiting list control group. The results show that in the short term, the intervention group realizes a significantly larger increase in hours spent on an internship as well as substantially larger gains in confidence to find work in the future. In the long term, the intervention group experiences larger confidence gains related to finding a job that fits their education and experience." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Peters, Marjolein (2023): European Network of Public Employment Services: Trends in PES - Assessment Report on PES Capacity 2022. (Trends in PES / European Network of Public Employment Services 2022), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 74 S. DOI:10.2767/908915

Abstract

"The report provides an overview of key trends in the development of PES, describing aspects of their capacity and the client services they offer. It is based on PES replies to the annual PES Capacity survey received from 32 PES in July and August 2022. This year, specific information was collected on the cooperation of PES with municipalities and how PES use outsourcing to work with other actors in the labour market ecosystem. Two more important additional topics this year are the impact of the pandemic (continuing from the 2021 report) and the support PES provide to jobseekers from Ukraine." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ravn, Rasmus Lind (2023): Which employers have refugee employees - And which do not? Employer typologies developed through hierarchical cluster analyses. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 57, H. 1, S. 67-86. DOI:10.1111/spol.12873

Abstract

"Employers can be regarded as gatekeepers of jobs. They decide how to post vacancies, whom to recruit and whom to dismiss. In recent years, a growing body of research has highlighted the crucial role of employers in relation to labour market participation of disadvantaged groups. This article contributes to this research by exploring which types of employers have refugee employees—and which do not. We develop the typologies through hierarchical cluster analyses using a nationally representative survey of Danish workplaces. We find that the employers who have experiences with having refugee employees can be grouped into three based on their attitudes and preconceptions; knights, knaves and squires. Likewise, employers who have never had refugee employees can also be divided into three groups; aspiring knights, knights of fortune, and commoners. The groups differ in their attitudes and motivations for (not) having refugee employees. Our main contribution to the literature is the development of new nuanced employer typologies, and the finding that employers differ in their motivations for having, or not having, refugee employees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Sağnıç, Şevin Gülfer (2023): Lost in data translation: A critical review of datasets on refugees. In: International Migration, Jg. 61, H. 6, S. 193-208. DOI:10.1111/imig.13159

Abstract

"Quantitative data are the backbone of the international refugee regime. Academic researchers and international organizations have been drawing attention to the problems of refugee data that obscure refugee vulnerabilities. Despite these efforts, the limitations of quantitative refugee data, particularly with regard to gendered aspects of refugee vulnerabilities, have often been overlooked. This article aims to address this issue by examining the major limitations of quantitative refugee data. It focuses on the question of “What are the major limitations of quantitative refugee data regarding gendered aspects of refugee vulnerabilities?” By conducting a systematic review of 67 datasets from international organizations, nation-states, and independent data collectors, it argues that there are five fundamental problems with the data: (1) lack of disaggregation, (2) lack of cross-tabulation and inability to harmonize datasets, (3) inconsistent periodization frequency, (4) lack of sex and gender diversity measurement, and (5) survivor bias. This article highlights the importance of critically analysing the data that informs theories and decisions regarding refugee vulnerabilities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Seyfert, Karin & Héctor Alonso (2023): Social protection for refugees and migrants: Examining access to benefits and labour market interventions. In: International social security review, Jg. 76, H. 4, S. 23-43. DOI:10.1111/issr.12347

Abstract

"The article discusses the current practices for providing social protection to refugees and migrants, focusing primarily on low- and middle-income (LMICs) destination countries. It examines formal providers of social protection, including state institutions, development agencies and humanitarian organizations. In recent years, there has been an increase in funding from multilateral donors, especially in the context of the COVID–19 pandemic, leading to the establishment of national assistance programmes in LMICs that also encompass refugees and to a lesser extent migrant workers. International agencies play a crucial role in providing humanitarian cash assistance to refugees, given their status under international protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention and related protocols. Access to social insurance remains tied to formal employment. Social insurance entitlements for migrants are often restricted and refugees are typically excluded from formal employment in LMICs. Regarding labor market interventions, refugees and migrants are often excluded from national programs, with migrants’ residence permits being often tied to employment. For refugees, international agencies take a prominent role in providing livelihood programs aimed at enhancing income-generating opportunities, economic inclusion and financial independence. However, the effectiveness of these interventions remains unclear, lacking rigorous evidence, and often being short-term with limited coverage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Tesfai, Rebbeca (2023): Success or Self-Sufficiency? The Role of Race in Refugees' Long-Term Economic Outcomes. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 36, H. 1, S. 156-189. DOI:10.1093/jrs/feac066

Abstract

"The United States has always prided itself as providing safe haven to those who are persecuted. Yet, the United States did not develop policy for admitting and resettling refugees until 1980. Unlike Asians and Europeans, African refugees in the 1980s were chosen primarily based on skill, but no research thus far examines whether this strategy led to greater long-term economic success for African refugees. This article examines racial differences in refugees’ likelihood of living in poverty, receiving welfare income, engaging in full-time employment and wages between 1990 and 2019. I find that refugees show improvement in all four outcomes. African refugees, however, earn less than nearly all other groups in all time periods suggesting blocked mobility, particularly among men. Analyses focus on the 1982–1987 entry cohort of refugees who had access to more assistance than future cohorts. Consequently, these findings likely show the best-case scenario for refugees’ long-term economic outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Allsopp, Jennifer (2022): English 'iron rod' welfare versus Italian 'colander' welfare: understanding the intra-European mobility strategies of unaccompanied young migrants and refugees. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 32, H. 4, S. 436-451. DOI:10.1177/09589287221095056

Abstract

"The experiences of unaccompanied young migrants and refugees challenge the idea of a common European asylum policy but also show that traditional welfare typologies used to account for differences in welfare across states fail to account for the lived experiences of this group. They do not consider the shifting categorizations of young migrants in institutional terms, nor how the stratification of their social rights plays out over place and time. Moreover, current welfare typologies give inadequate attention to the increasing intersection of the labour market and opportunities for regularization, the relative importance and role of the state in the welfare mix, and the nexus of access to welfare and immigration enforcement. This article draws on qualitative longitudinal research in England and Italy to argue that rather than experiencing welfare through the lens of Liberal (England) versus Conservative or Mediterranean (Italy) regimes, unaccompanied young migrants and refugees in these countries are better understood as navigating different systems of ‘iron rod welfare’ and ‘colander welfare’. In England, the nexus between welfare and legal status is policed by an iron rod on one side of which exists a plethora of social rights, but on the other the risk of a proactive detention and deportation regime. In Italy, meanwhile, the holes of the colander denote gaps in protection but also possibilities to navigate alternative welfare strategies independently of the state. The ability to act independently of the state is an important but under-theorized capability for this population, for whom the state is a more ambiguous actor than is traditionally considered in European social policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arendt, Jacob Nielsen, Christian Dustmann & Hyejin Ku (2022): Refugee Migration and the Labor Market: Lessons from 40 Years of Post-arrival Policies in Denmark. In: Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Jg. 38, H. 3, S. 531-556. DOI:10.1093/oxrep/grac021

Abstract

"Denmark has accepted refugees from a large variety of countries and for more than four decades. Denmark has also frequently changed policies and regulations concerning integration programmes, transfer payments, and conditions for permanent residency. Such policy variation in conjunction with excellent administrative data provides an ideal laboratory to evaluate the effects of different immigration and integration policies on the outcomes of refugee immigrants. In this article, we first describe the Danish experience with refugee immigration over the past four decades. We then review different post-arrival refugee policies and summarize studies that evaluate their effects on the labour market performance of refugees. Lastly, we discuss and contrast these findings in the context of international studies of similar policies and draw conclusions for policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bertoli, Simone, Herbert Brücker & Jesús Fernández-Huertas Moraga (2022): Do applications respond to changes in asylum policies in European countries? In: Regional Science and Urban Economics, Jg. 93, 2022-01-19. DOI:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2022.103771

Abstract

"We analyze the role of origin-destination-time specific policy measures in shaping the location choices of asylum seekers across European countries. We estimate a gravity equation that reflects the uncertainty that asylum seekers face concerning the chances of obtaining refugee protection, the processing time and the risk of repatriation. German efforts to expand their processing capacity are correlated with a significant increase in applications from origins with high recognition rates, which were mostly diverted away from Sweden. For Syrians, the observed variations in processing times increased applications in Germany by 16.1 percent, and led to a 35.3 percent reduction in Sweden between 2014 and 2015." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))

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Craviolini, Julie & Michael Herman (2022): Arbeitsmarktintegration von Personen mit Schutzstatus S. Unternehmensbefragung. Zürich, 19 S.

Abstract

"Im März dieses Jahres hat der Bundesrat entschieden, den Personen, die aufgrund des Krieges aus der Ukraine geflüchtet sind, den Schutzstatus S zu erteilen. Dieser ermöglicht es, ohne Wartefrist einer Erwerbstätigkeit nachzugehen. Der Schweizerische Arbeitgeberverband (SAV) begrüsst es, dass die Unternehmen einen Beitrag zur Arbeitsmarktintegration der Personen mit Schutzstatus S leisten. Um mehr über das Interesse aber auch über die Herausforderungen und Bedürfnisse der Schweizer Unternehmen in Bezug auf die Anstellung von Ukraine-Flüchtlingen zu erfahren, hat der SAV das Forschungsinstitut Sotomo mit einer Unternehmensbefragung beauftragt. Befragt wurden Verantwortungspersonen von 376 Schweizer Unternehmen aus der deutsch- und französischsprachigen Schweiz mit mindestens fünf Mitarbeitenden. Die Erhebung fand zwischen dem 18. und 25. Juli 2022 über das B2B-Panel von AmPuls statt. Die Befragung zeigt, dass 56 Prozent der Schweizer Unternehmen grundsätzlich Interesse an einer Anstellung von geflüchteten Personen aus der Ukraine haben. Fast jedes zehnte Unternehmen hat bereits entsprechende Personen angestellt und ist grossmehrheitlich zufrieden mit deren Leistung (85 %). Eine wichtige Motivation für die befragten Unternehmen ist es dabei, einen solidarischen Beitrag zu leisten. Als bedeutende Faktoren werden zudem die Qualität der Arbeitskräfte aus der Ukraine sowie deren hohe Motivation genannt. Zugleich bestehen jedoch auch Hürden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark, Gulay Ozcan & Ulrika Vikman (2022): Labor Market Integration of Refugees. RCT Evidence from an Early Intervention Program in Sweden. (arXiv papers), 21 S.

Abstract

"This study uses a randomized control trial to evaluate a new program for increased labor market integration of refugees. The program introduces highly intensive assistance immediately after the residence permit is granted. The early intervention strategy contrasts previous integration policies, which typically constitute low-intensive help over long periods of time. We find positive effects on employment of the program. The magnitude of the effect is substantial, corresponding to around 15 percentage points. Our cost estimates suggest that the new policy is less expensive than comparable labor market programs used in the past." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Foged, Mette, Janis Kreuder & Giovanni Peri (2022): Integrating Refugees by Addressing Labor Shortages? A Policy Evaluation. (NBER working paper 29781), Cambridge, Mass, 19 S. DOI:10.3386/w29781

Abstract

"We evaluate the effect on newly arrived refugees' employment of a policy, introduced in Denmark in 2013, that matched refugees to occupations with local labor shortages after basic training for those jobs. Leveraging the staggered roll-out across municipalities, we find that the policy increased employment by 5-6 percentage points one year after arrival and 10 percentage points two years after. The policy was especially effective for male refugees and refugees with some secondary education. The findings suggest that this type of policy could alleviate long-term labor shortages and integrate low-skilled immigrants, while having minimal competition effects on natives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jäggi, Christian J. (2022): Migration und Flucht. Wirtschaftliche Aspekte - regionale Hot Spots - Dynamiken - Lösungsansätze. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, 193 S.

Abstract

"Dieses Fachbuch ordnet die hochaktuelle Fluchtthematik in größere theoretische Zusammenhänge ein. Dabei werden die wichtigsten globalen Fluchtbewegungen und Migrationsrouten und regionale Hot Spots skizziert, und zwar aus europäischer und insbesondere aus schweizerischer Sicht. Für Migration und Flucht gibt es ökonomische Ursachen, aber auch Krieg, Gewalt und Naturkatastrophen führen dazu, dass eine wachsende Zahl von Menschen ihre Heimat verlässt. Neben Fragen des Überlebens sind oft auch der Wunsch nach einem besseren Leben die Motivation dazu. Im Gegensatz zu früheren Darstellungen der Migrationsforschung geht der Schweizer Autor Christian J. Jäggi nicht von linearen Migrationsverläufen, sondern von gleichzeitigen, bilokalen Lebensformen aus. Die ökonomischen Implikationen von Migration und Flucht sowohl für die Migranten als auch für die Herkunfts- und für die Einwanderungsländer werden dargestellt. Zudem werden internationale und globale Strategien und Lösungsansätze analysiert." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

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Kristiansen, Marcus H., Ineke Maas, Sanne Boschman & J. Cok Vrooman (2022): Refugees' Transition from Welfare to Work: A Quasi-Experimental Approach of the Impact of the Neighbourhood Context. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 38, H. 2, S. 234-251. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcab044

Abstract

"This study analyses the impact of the neighbourhood context on the likelihood that refugees move from social assistance to paid employment. It makes use of Dutch policy that resulted in an exogenous placement of refugees in their first regular housing. This natural quasi-experiment allows us to estimate intent-to-treat effects of initial neighbourhood characteristics on the likelihood of transitioning from welfare to work. We consider the impact of the employment share and the median level of income among natives and co-ethnics, using Dutch longitudinal administrative data and discrete time event-history modelling. Our findings indicate that refugees are more likely to enter the labour market when the neighbourhood’s employment share among natives is higher. A similar effect for employment among co-ethnics is not found. There is also no evidence that the placement of refugees in an area with a higher median income among co-ethnics or natives facilitates the transition from welfare to work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lai, Huyen, Clemence Due & Anna Ziersch (2022): The relationship between employment and health for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds: A systematic review of quantitative studies. In: SSM - population health, Jg. 18. DOI:10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101075

Abstract

"Background For the general population, the positive effects of paid employment on health and wellbeing are well established. However, less is known for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. This review aims to systematically summarise the quantitative literature on the relationship between employment and health and wellbeing for refugees and asylum seekers. Method A search strategy was conducted in online databases, including MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMCARE, SCOPUS, CINHAL, ProQuest and Web of Science. Articles were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies published in English between 2000 to October 2021 were included if they used quantitative methods to consider the relationship between employment and health for refugees and asylum seekers in resettlement countries. Study quality was assessed using The Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Tools. Findings were synthesised using a narrative approach. Results Seventy-two papers were identified. The majority of papers (N = 58, 81%) examined the association between employment and mental health outcomes. Overall, while there were inconsistencies in the findings, employment had a positive effect on mental health particularly in reducing levels of psychological distress and depression. Though more limited in number, the papers examining physical health suggest that people who are employed tend to have better physical health than unemployed persons. There was some evidence to support the bi-directional relationship between employment and health. Poor mental and physical health negatively impacted the odds of employment and occupational status of refugees. Conclusion Good quality employment is an essential component of refugee resettlement and this review found that in general employment is also beneficial for refugee health, particularly aspects of mental health. More research regarding the effects of employment on physical health is required. The effects of refugee-specific factors such as gender roles, torture, and trauma on the relationship between employment and health also require further investigation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Manahl, Caroline (2022): Die Bedeutung des lokalen Kontexts für die soziale Teilhabe geflüchteter Frauen. Ländliche Räume als Potenzial? In: Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Jg. 47, H. 2, S. 133-154. DOI:10.1007/s11614-022-00478-z

Abstract

"In rezenten Forschungsarbeiten zu Zuwanderung in ländlichen Räumen wird ruralen Gebieten ein hohes Potenzial für Eingliederungsprozesse zugeschrieben. Besonders der Aufbau sozialer Beziehungen soll Zugewanderten in solchen Gebieten leichter gelingen und wiederum für andere Bereiche von Integration förderlich sein (z. B. für die Suche nach Wohnraum bzw. nach einer Beschäftigung). Dieser Beitrag überprüft, ob sich solche positiven Effekte ländlicher Gebiete im Vergleich zu städtischen Räumen am Beispiel geflüchteter Frauen in Vorarlberg nachweisen lassen. Dazu wird eine bi- und multivariate Analyse von Befragungsdaten durchgeführt, die in der praktischen Integrationsarbeit in Vorarlberg erhoben wurden. Dabei zeigt sich, dass geflüchtete Frauen, die in ruralen Kontexten wohnen, seltener am Erwerbsleben und an sozialen Beziehungen in ihrem lokalen Umfeld teilhaben als geflüchtete Frauen im städtischen Raum. Zudem wird ersichtlich, dass Nachbarschaften, ehrenamtliche Helfer*innen und lokale Austausch- und Begegnungsangebote wichtige Gelegenheitsstrukturen für geflüchtete Frauen sind, um Kontakte aufzubauen. Nachbarschaften in städtischen Gebieten scheinen hierfür allerdings bessere Rahmenbedingungen zu bieten als Nachbarschaften im ländlichen Raum und auch der Zugang zu Begegnungsangeboten scheint geflüchteten Frauen in der Stadt eher zu gelingen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag)

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Nimer, Maissam & Susan Beth Rottmann (2022): Logistification and Hyper-Precarity at the Intersection of Migration and Pandemic Governance: Refugees in the Turkish Labour Market. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 35, H. 1, S. 122-138. DOI:10.1093/jrs/feab076

Abstract

"This article analyses the governance of migration and the Covid-19 pandemic on precarious Syrian refugees in Istanbul. Drawing from a review of state policies and interviews with refugees before and after the pandemic, we argue that the intersecting governance of migration and the pandemic compounded inequalities. While refugees initially lost their employment without notice in lockdown periods, their partial lifting revealed unequal expectations towards their labour, as they were reincorporated within even more hyper-precarious labour relations. Unlike citizens who were somewhat protected by the state, refugees were under the limited care of international funders and subject to the whims of the market. Pandemic governance resulted in increased hyper-precarity and the need to rely on individual coping mechanisms for refugees. This research shows how shifting inclusion and exclusion shapes refugees' hyper-precarity related to Covid-19 governance, transforming Syrians into ‘market buffers’ to prevent or delay bankruptcies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pecoraro, Marco, Anita Manatschal, Eva G. T. Green & Philippe Wanner (2022): How effective are integration policy reforms? The case of asylum-related migrants. In: International Migration, Jg. 60, H. 6, S. 95-110. DOI:10.1111/imig.12967

Abstract

"The marked increase of asylum seekers arriving in Western Europe after 2014 has renewed debates on policy measures that countries should put into place to support their integration. Although implemented by many countries in recent years, research has neglected the effect of integration policy reform packages combining economic and social policy measures on asylum-related immigrants’ adjustment processes. Exploiting a comprehensive integration policy reform in Switzerland, using survey data from the Health Monitoring of the Swiss Migrant Population, and registering data on the whole asylum-related population, our difference-in-differences analyses reveal that provisionally admitted individuals benefiting from the reform have higher employment probability, increased income levels, better language skills, and feel less lonely or without a homeland relative to comparable asylum seekers who did not benefit from the reform. Robustness checks assessing common pre-reform trends support our findings, which highlight the importance of evaluating entire reform packages when assessing integration policies’ effectiveness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Shin, Seonho (2022): To work or not? Wages or subsidies?: Copula-based evidence of subsidized refugees' negative selection into employment. In: Empirical economics, Jg. 63, H. 4, S. 2209-2252. DOI:10.1007/s00181-022-02202-y

Abstract

"Despite increasing interest in topics related to refugees, economic literature has remained mostly silent on how refugees make labor supply decisions in their initial resettlement period, during which their host government provides various care and financial assistance. This paper fills that void by applying the copula-based selection model, which is free from the restrictive joint normality assumption, to a unique, high-dimensional data set of refugees who resettled in the US. Its selection parameter estimates suggest that subsidized refugees negatively select themselves into employment in terms of unobserved wage potential, which, according to the theoretical model, should be attributed primarily to the fact that (i) their reservation wages are rigid due to host-provided, non-labor income and (ii) host country employers discount refugees' unobserved human capital components substantially. As a result, employed refugees' wages, all observable factors held constant, are lower than the counterfactual wages of non-employed refugees, which contradicts what is usual in conventional labor markets. This devaluation-based skill paradox is more pronounced in regions unfriendly to refugees, and the negative pattern temporarily reversed immediately after the 9/11 attacks, which represented a huge adverse shock to non-natives in the US labor market, suggesting that subsidized refugees' labor supply decisions are influenced greatly by their expectations regarding future labor market outcomes. Possible explanations are discussed based on a simple theoretical model in the context of the US refugee resettlement system." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Thoma, Nadja & Phil C. Langer (2022): Educational Transitions in War and Refugee Contexts: Youth Biographies in Afghanistan and Austria. In: Social Inclusion, Jg. 10, H. 2, S. 302-312. DOI:10.17645/si.v10i2.5156

Abstract

"This article addresses educational transitions under conditions of multiple insecurities. By analyzing empirical data of two research projects with youths in Afghanistan and refugee students in Austria, we show how young peoplemake sense of the social and educational inequalities they encounter on their educational pathways within different national, socio‐political, and institutional contexts. We present in‐depth analyses of two cases to elaborate how young people in different parts of the world conceive of their futures when basic security needs are not met, and how they make sense of the social and educational inequalities they face during their transition processes. After living through repeatedly fractured perspectives, young people have to make sense of their biographical experiences and continuously (re)design their plans while facing uncertain futures. In the Afghan Youth Project, we reconstructed a collective—and morally charged—biographical orientation of future plans. This orientation can also be understood as a critical response to persistent fragility and inequality and suggests an imagined generational hold and sense of belonging. In the Austrian project Translating Wor(l)ds, we reconstructed continuing experiences of educational exclusion, marginalization, and devaluation in different migration societies throughout refugee routes. Educational transitions, which can be challenging for all young people, take on special relevance under these conditions. Combining biographical and socio‐psychological research perspectives allows us to reconstruct educational processes as cumulative, non‐linear processes and to reveal the ambiguities, contradictions, and ruptures woven into them, as well as the subjects' constructions of sense and agency." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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de Montgomery, Christopher Jamil, Marie Norredam, Allan Krasnik, Jørgen Holm Petersen, Emma Björkenstam, Lisa Berg, Anders Hjern, Marit Sijbrandij, Peter Klimek & Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz (2022): Labour market marginalisation in young refugees and their majority peers in Denmark and Sweden: The role of common mental disorders and secondary school completion. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 17, H. 2. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263450

Abstract

"Due to the circumstances of their early lives, young refugees are at risk of experiencing adverse labour market and health outcomes. The post-settlement environment is thought to play a decisive role in determining how this vulnerability plays out. This study compared trends in labour market marginalisation in young refugees and their majority peers during early adulthood in two national contexts, Denmark and Sweden, and explored the mediating role of common mental disorders and secondary school completions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (2022): Relocation 2.0: tying adult refugee skills to labour market demand. (CEDEFOP policy brief / European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training), Thessaloniki, 19 S. DOI:10.2801/09527

Abstract

"This Cedefop policy brief is based on an empirical piece of work carried out in Greece and Portugal. The work tested if, and under what conditions, intra-EU relocation of refugees based on skills and labour market needs in countries of relocation may work. Experience gained indicates six ways in which progress can be made to expand relocation in Europe based on refugees’ skills and labour market needs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arendt, Jacob Nielsen, Iben Bolvig, Mette Foged, Linea Hasager & Giovanni Peri (2021): Language Training and Refugees' Integration. (IZA discussion paper 14145), Bonn, 69 S.

Abstract

"We evaluate a Danish reform focused on improving Danish language training for those granted refugee status on or after January 1, 1999. Using a Regression Discontinuity Design we find a significant, permanent, positive effect on earnings. This effect emerged after completion of language classes and was accompanied by additional schooling and higher probability of working in communication-intensive jobs, suggesting that language training, rather than other minor aspects of the reform, produced it. We also find evidence of higher completion rates of lower secondary school and lower probability of crime for male children with both parents exposed to the reform." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Backman, Mikaela, Esteban Lopez & Francisco Rowe (2021): The occupational trajectories and outcomes of forced migrants in Sweden. Entrepreneurship, employment or persistent inactivity? In: Small business economics, Jg. 56, H. 3, S. 963-983. DOI:10.1007/s11187-019-00312-z

Abstract

"The current surge in forced migration to Europe is probably the largest and most complex since the Second World War. As population aging accelerates and fertility falls below replacement level, immigration may be seen as a key component of human capital to address labor and skill shortages. Receiving countries are, however, hesitant about the contribution that forced migrants can make to the local economy. Coupled with increasing pressure on welfare services, they are associated with increased job competition and crime. Underutilization of immigrants' skills is, however, a waste of resources that countries can scarcely afford. Understanding the labor market integration process of forced migrants is thus critical to develop policies that unleash their full skills potential and ultimately foster local economic productivity. While prior studies have examined the employment and salary outcomes of these immigrants at a particular point in time post-migration, they have failed to capture the temporal dynamics and complexity of this process. Drawing on administrative data from Sweden, we examine the occupational pathways of forced migrants using sequence analysis from their arrival in 1991 through to 2013. Findings reveal polarized pathways of long-term labor market integration with over one-third of refugees experiencing a successful labor market integration pathway and an equally large share facing a less fruitful employment outcomes. Our findings suggest education provision is key to promote a more successful integration into the local labor market by reducing barriers of cultural proximity and increasing the occurrence of entrepreneurship activity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Crea, Thomas M., Emma Tobin, Ann-Elizabeth Young, Christian Ko & Alexandra Weber (2021): Job Retention Among Resettled Refugees in The US: The Importance of Context. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 34, H. 2, S. 2074-2092. DOI:10.1093/jrs/feaa088

Abstract

"The primary objective of the US refugee resettlement program is for beneficiaries to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Yet, little research has examined the extent to which this objective has been achieved, nor the programmatic and contextual variables that influence this outcome. This study examines how beneficiaries’ individual and job characteristics are associated with the likelihood of job retention after 90 days of employment. Data were obtained on 1787 refugees served by the International Institute of New England from March 2015 to January 2019. Logistic regression models were used to examine the predictors of retention in four cities (Boston, MA; Lowell, MA; Manchester, NH; and Nashua, NH). Different patterns emerged across cities, related to factors such as pay, educational level, legal immigration status, job permanency, and gender. The concept of self-sufficiency is closely linked to the context of resettlement and thus requires more careful articulation as a goal of the refugee resettlement program." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Disney, Lindsey R., Jane McPherson & Ziad S. Jamal (2021): 'We know more than that': The Underemployment Experiences of College-educated Iraqi Refugees Living in the US. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. 1168-1184. DOI:10.1093/jrs/feaa128

Abstract

"Underemployment (i.e. a skilled worker in a low-skill job) has a negative impact on life satisfaction, and college-educated refugees often experience underemployment in the countries where they are resettled. Using interviews, this small-scale study explores college-educated Iraqi refugees’ experiences of employment in the US, and how employment experiences impact their resettlement and life satisfaction. Our participants share a complex picture of gratitude and loss, and a common framework for making short-term and long-term employment and education decisions post-resettlement. Our findings support the hypothesis that employment is one of the most influential areas of a refugee’s resettlement experience." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Klaesson, Johan & Esteban Lopez (2021): Ethnic enclaves and segregation - self-employment and employment patterns among forced migrants. In: Small business economics, Jg. 56, H. 3, S. 985-1006. DOI:10.1007/s11187-019-00313-y

Abstract

"The relevance of residential segregation and ethnic enclaves for labor market sorting of immigrants has been investigated by a large body of literature. Previous literature presents competing arguments and mixed results for the effects of segregation and ethnic concentration on various labor market outcomes. The geographical size of the area at which segregation and/or ethnic concentration is measured, however, is left to empirical work to determine. We argue that ethnic concentration and segregation should not be used interchangeably, and more importantly, the geographical area at which they are measured relates directly to different mechanisms. We use a probabilistic approach to identify the likelihood that an immigrant is employed or a self-employed entrepreneur in the year 2005 with respect to residential segregation and ethnic concentration at the level of the neighborhood, municipality, and local labor market level jointly. We study three groups of immigrants that accentuate the differences between forced and pulled migrants: (i) the first 15 member states of European Union (referred to as EU 15) and the Nordic countries, (ii) the Balkan countries, and (iii) countries in the Middle East. We find that ethnic enclaves, proxied by ethnic concentration at varying levels, indicate mixed results for the different immigrant groups we study, both for their employment and entrepreneurship probability, whereas residential segregation has a more uniformly distributed result where its relationship to any of the two labor market outcomes is almost always negative or insignificant." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Kone, Zovanga L., Isabel Ruiz & Carlos Vargas-Silva (2021): Self-employment and reason for migration: are those who migrate for asylum different from other migrants? In: Small business economics, Jg. 56, H. 3, S. 947-962. DOI:10.1007/s11187-019-00311-0

Abstract

"This paper explores differences in the likelihood of engaging in self-employment among migrants who moved for different reasons to the UK. The results suggest that, conditional on being in employment, those who initially migrated for asylum reasons are six percentage points more likely to engage in self-employment than the UK-born, while those who migrated for work reasons are not significantly different from UK-born workers in this regard. We also find that mediating factors, such as the presence of networks and years since migration, relate differently to the likelihood of self-employment for each group of migrants. Finally, there are also differences when looking at the number of persons employed by the self-employed and the skill level associated with the activity of self-employment. Those who migrated for asylum are not significantly different from the UK-born in their likelihood of employing someone else, while those who migrated for work are two percentage points less likely to employ others relative to the UK-born." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Ludolph, Lars (2021): The Value of Formal Host-Country Education for the Labour Market Position of Refugees: Evidence from Austria. (CESifo working paper 9241), München, 65 S.

Abstract

"Refugees hosted across the developed world often work in low-quality jobs, regardless of education previously attained in their country of origin. In this paper, I analyse the long-term value of formal host-country education for refugees using the example of forcefully displaced Bosnians who arrived in Austria during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. Deploying 22 years of Austrian microcensus data, I exploit the age at the time of forced migration as an instrument for the probability of receiving host-country instead of origin country education to recover local average treatment effects of education attained in Austria vis-à-vis Bosnia on labour market outcomes for refugees aged around schooling thresholds. These estimates show that attaining a formal degree in the host-country significantly reduces the probability of work below educational attainment and low-skill employment over the entire observation period. Income differences between Austrian and Bosnian degree holders are visible after more than two decades of stay in Austria. The discount on Bosnian education declines over time for men but not for women, suggesting that host-country degrees are particularly important to groups that faced cultural barriers to quality employment in their country of origin." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Reder, Martina (2021): Geflüchtete Menschen zwischen Bleibestatus und Arbeitsmarktintegration. In: WISO, Jg. 44, H. 1, S. 11-31.

Abstract

"Der Beitrag beleuchtet die Situation von geflüchteten Menschen, die im Zuge der sogenannten „Flüchtlingswelle 2015“ nach Österreich gekommen sind und einen Asylantrag gestellt haben. Anhand von Expert*innenaussagen und Literaturbefunden werden einige zentrale Herausforderungen in den Themenfeldern Aufenthaltsstatus, Wohnraum, Sprache, Gesundheit, Bildung und Arbeitsmarkt aufgezeigt und am Ende des Beitrags der Blick auf mögliche Ansatzpunkte hin zu einer gleichwürdigen Integration von geflüchteten Menschen gerichtet." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © ISW-Linz)

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Arendt, Jacob Nielsen (2020): Labor Market Effects of a Work-first Policy for Refugees. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 662), Essen, 45 S.

Abstract

"This study estimates the labor market effects of a work-first policy that aimed at speeding up the labor market integration of refugees. The policy added new requirements for refugees to actively search for jobs and to participate in on-the-job training immediately upon arrival in the host country. The requirements were added to an existing policy that emphasizes human capital investments in language training. The results show that the work-first policy speeded up the entry into regular jobs for males, but that they find work in precarious jobs with few hours. The long-run effects are uncertain since the policy crowds out language investments but raises enrollment in education. The policy had no or very small effects for women, which is partly explained by a lower treatment intensity for women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baum, Christopher F., Hans Lööf, Andreas Stephan & Klaus F. Zimmermann (2020): Occupational Sorting and Wage Gaps of Refugees. (CEPR discussion paper 14917), London, 58 S.

Abstract

"Refugee workers start low and adjust slowly to the wages of comparable natives. The innovative approach in this study using unique Swedish employer-employee data shows that the observed wage gap between established refugees and comparable natives is mainly caused by occupational sorting into cognitive and manual tasks. Within occupations, it can be largely explained by differences in work experience. The identification strategy relies on a control group of matched natives with the same characteristics as the refugees, using panel data for 2003-2013 to capture unobserved heterogeneity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baumgartner, Paul, Meike Palinkas & Valentin Daur (2020): Prozesse der Arbeitsmarktintegration von Flüchtlingen und subsidiär Schutzberechtigten in Österreich. Forschungsbericht der dritten Welle des FIMAS-Flüchtlingssurveys: FIMAS+INTEGRATION 2. (AMS-Arbeitsmarktstrukturbericht), Wien, 79 S.

Abstract

"Aufgrund der überragenden Bedeutung der Arbeitsmarktteilnahme für den Integrationsprozess stand die Arbeitsmarktintegration schon bei den vorangegangenen FIMAS-Erhebungen (FIMAS; FIMAS+INTEGRATION; FIMAS+INTEGRATION 2) im Vordergrund; sie steht auch im Zentrum dieser Studie. In der Literatur gilt Erwerbsarbeit als Grundpfeiler ganzheitlicher Integration, die neben finanzieller Selbstständigkeit auch soziale Kontakte zur Aufnahmegesellschaft, Spracherwerb und gesellschaftliche Anerkennung fördert (...). Allerdings erfolgt aufgrund der vergleichsweise schlechten Startvoraussetzungen einer Fluchtbiografie (...) der Einstieg in die Erwerbstätigkeit bei Geflüchteten durchschnittlich langsamer und schwerer als bei anderen Zuwanderungsgruppen. Generell können zum einen Faktoren wie Alter, Geschlecht, Bildung und Ausbildung, Gesundheit oder Betreuungspflichten eine grundlegende Rolle im Prozess der Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt des Aufnahmelandes spielen. Zum anderen sind auch Berufserfahrung vor der Einreise, unterschiedliche Sprachkenntnisse und Kategorien des Aufenthaltsstatus Merkmale, die die Perspektiven und somit auch Dimension der Partizipation am Arbeitsmarkt maßgeblich beeinflussen. Prinzipiell gilt, dass bei längerer Dauer des Aufenthaltes im Aufnahmeland die sozio-ökonomische Integration von Geflüchteten zunimmt." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Bevelander, Pieter (2020): Integrating refugees into labormarkets. (IZA world of labor 269,2), Bonn, 9 S. DOI:10.15185/izawol.269.v2

Abstract

"Refugee migration has increased considerably since the Second World War, and amounts to more than 50 million refugees. Only a minority of these refugees seek asylum, and even fewer resettle in developed countries. At the same time, politicians, the media, and the public are worried about a lack of economic integration. Refugees start at a lower employment and income level, but subsequently “catch up” to the level of family unification migrants. However, both refugees and family migrants do not “catch up” to the economic integration levels of labor migrants. A faster integration process would significantly benefit refugees and their new host countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brell, Courtney, Christian Dustmann & Ian Preston (2020): The Labor Market Integration of Refugee Migrants in High-Income Countries. In: The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. 94-121. DOI:10.1257/jep.34.1.94

Abstract

"We provide an overview of the integration of refugees into the labor markets of a number of high-income countries. Discussing the ways in which refugees and economic migrants are differently selected and so might be expected to perform differently in a host country's labor market, we examine employment and wages for these groups over time after arrival. There is significant heterogeneity between host countries, but in general, refugees experience persistently worse outcomes than other migrants. While the gaps between the groups can be seen to decrease on a timescale of a decade or two, this is more pronounced in employment rates than it is in wages. We also discuss how refugees are distinct in terms of other factors affecting integration, including health, language skills, and social networks. We provide a discussion of insights for public policy in receiving countries, concluding that supporting refugees in early labor market attachment is crucial." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Christl, Michael (2020): The Labour Market Effects of a Refugee Wave. A Replication Study of Peri and Yasenov (Journal of Human Resources, 2019). In: International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics, Jg. 4. DOI:10.18718/81781.19

Abstract

"Peri and Yasenov (2019) exploit a natural experiment, the Mariel boatlift of 1980, to analyse the impact of immigration on wages and other labour market outcomes of natives. The authors find no impact of this (immigrant) labour supply shock on the wages of local workers. These results are heavily discussed in the literature, making it a good example for replication to check the robustness of the findings. This paper analyses the impact of the selection of control variables when choosing the synthetic control group and the influence of the sample choice on the findings of the original study. The replication exercise shows that the original results are very stable to several robustness checks. Even though restricting the analysis to a smaller sample influences the results slightly, there is still no evidence of a significant (negative) impact of the labour supply shock on wages of locals" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark, Ulrika Vikman & Gülay Özcan (2020): Labor market integration of low-educated refugees. RCT evidence from an ambitious integration program in Sweden. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2020,21), Bonn, 25 S.

Abstract

"This paper evaluates an ambitious and newly designed program for increased integration in Sweden. The purpose of the program is to help newly arrived, low-educated refugees into employment. The program includes four main components: (1) intensive initial language training,(2)work practice under close supervision, (3) job search assistance, and (4) extended cooperation between the local public sector and firms. An important feature of the program is that the demand side of the labor market, represented by the largest real estate company in Gothenburg, is involved in designing the program. Our evaluation is based on a randomized controlled trial, where potential participants in one of the first waves were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The paper presents results from the first two years after randomization. Using inference based on Fisher's exact test, we show that the program has positive effects on employment: around 30 % of the individuals in the treatment group are employed each month during the first year following the end of the program, compared to an average of approximately 15 % in the control group." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fasani, Francesco, Tommaso Frattini & Luigi Minale (2020): Lift the Ban? Initial Employment Restrictions and Refugee Labour Market Outcomes. (CReAM discussion paper 2020,10), London, 55 S.

Abstract

"This article investigates the medium to long-term effects on refugee labour market outcomes of the temporary employment bans being imposed in many countries on recently arrived asylum seekers. Using a newly collected dataset covering almost 30 years of employment restrictions together with individual data for refugees entering European countries between 1985 and 2012, our empirical strategy exploits the geographical and temporal variation in employment bans generated by staggered introduction and removal coupled with frequent changes at the intensive margin. We find that exposure to a ban at arrival reduces refugee employment probability in post-ban years by 15%, an impact driven primarily by lower labour market participation. These effects are not mechanical, since we exclude refugees who may still be subject to employment restrictions, are non-linear in ban length, confirming that the very first months following arrival play a key role in shaping integration prospects, and last up to 10 years post arrival. We further demonstrate that the detrimental effects of employment bans are concentrated among less educated refugees, translate into lower occupational quality, and seem not to be driven by selective migration. Our causal estimates are robust to several identification tests accounting for the potential endogeneity of employment ban policies, including placebo analysis of non-refugee migrants and an instrumental variable strategy. To illustrate the costs of these employment restrictions, we estimate a EUR 37.6 billion output loss from the bans imposed on asylum seekers who arrived in Europe during the so-called 2015 refugee crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fossati, Flavia & Fabienne Liechti (2020): Integrating refugees through active labour market policy: A comparative survey experiment. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 30, H. 5, S. 601-615. DOI:10.1177/0958928720951112

Abstract

"In the wake of the recent increase in the inflows of refugees to Europe, governments have made considerable investments in public policies aimed at facilitating the labour market integration of refugees. Despite these efforts, the labour market participation of refugees remains low. This situation raises the question of whether employers actually appreciate these public policies and whether refugees’ participation in specific active labour market policies (ALMPs), such as work practice or wage subsidies, increases their likelihood of being hired. In this article, we take a novel approach and combine employers’ evaluations of specific ALMPs with their attitudes towards refugees. We argue that these labour market policies can only be successful when employers hold positive attitudes towards refugees in the first place. We investigate this question by means of a factorial survey experiment with employers in Austria, Germany and Sweden. Our results show that, indeed, employers’ evaluations of fictional refugee candidates who participated in ALMPs are influenced by their attitudes towards this group. Participation in these policy measures is regarded positively only by those employers who already hold positive attitudes towards refugees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jutvik, Kristoffer & Darrel Robinson (2020): Permanent or temporary settlement? A study on the short-term effects of residence status on refugees' labour market participation. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 8. DOI:10.1186/s40878-020-00203-3

Abstract

"Whether refugees in need of protection should be granted long- or short-term residence permits in the host country upon arrival is a long-standing debate in the migration policy and scholarly literature. Rights-based models of inclusion advocate for secure and long-term residency status arguing that this will provide the foundations for successful inclusion. Responsibilities-based models on the other hand claim that migrants should only be granted such status if certain criteria, such as full-time employment, have been met, again under the belief that such a system will facilitate inclusion into the host society. Using a sudden policy change as a natural experiment combined with detailed Swedish registry data, we examine the effect permanent residency on three measures of labour market inclusion in the short-term. Our findings are twofold. On the one hand, we find that temporary residents that are subject to a relatively less-inclusive situation have higher incomes and less unemployment. However, at the same time, they are less likely to spend time in education than are those with permanent residency." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Landesmann, Michael & Sandra M. Leitner (2020): Refugees' Integration into the Austrian Labour Market: Dynamics of Occupational Mobility and Job-Skills Mismatch. (WIIW working paper 188), Wien, 36 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses the employment experiences of the recent wave of Middle Eastern refugees (from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran) in the Austrian job market. The emphasis in this research was to investigate whether refugees experienced an initial (sharp) downgrade in their occupational status when they accepted their first employment, compared with the occupation they had in their home country, and then whether (and to what extent) such a downgrade had been followed by an upgrade in the jobs they currently hold. This U-shaped pattern of occupational trajectories is familiar in the migration literature, and it is here tested using data from two survey waves of recent refugees in the Austrian labour market. The paper also analyses, in its second part, subjective assessments of refugees as to whether they feel that they are 'over-' or 'under-' qualified (regarding their previous educational attainment levels and work experiences) for the jobs in which they are currently employed. In both exercises, we report results regarding the heterogeneity across groups of refugees by age, gender, the specific occupations they held in their home country, their educational attainment levels, their country of origin, and whether they obtained refugee status as first-time asylum applicants or through family reunion. We also refer, in the section on 'job-skills' (mis)match, to further factors such as the refugees' (mental) health state and the degree of their social integration with the host population." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lintner, Claudia & Susanne Elsen (2020): Empowering refugees and asylum seekers in the Italian agriculture sector by linking social cooperative entrepreneurship and social work practices. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 29, H. 4, S. 356-366. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12450

Abstract

"The present study investigated the potential of social cooperative activities and social work practices in the Italian agriculture sector in promoting sustainable integration forms for refugees and asylum seekers. The study adopted a qualitative approach using case study as the main research method. As the results show, the complexity and diversity of needs of refugees and asylum seekers make collaboration between formal and informal actors increasingly necessary for generating a common knowledge and support networks. The article argues that integrated approaches to refugees? socio-economic integration are needed to free them from the need for assistance and thereby help them regain their autonomy. The case study presented gives insight into the potential of small-step experiences towards sustainable development and, linked to this, the integration of refugees and asylum seekers based on self-organisation and cooperation, considering the well-being of all citizens in the broader context." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Ortlieb, Renate, Petra Eggenhofer-Rehart, Sandra Leitner, Roland Hosner & Michael Landesmann (2020): Do Austrian Programmes Facilitate Labour Market Integration of Refugees? In: International Migration online erschienen am 21.10.2020, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1111/imig.12784

Abstract

"This study examines two programmes aimed at integrating refugees into the Austrian labour market: a short‐term Skills Assessment and a longer‐term Integration Year that includes an internship and training. The theoretical framework draws on the concepts of social field and forms of capital proposed by Pierre Bourdieu. Using data from a large‐scale refugee survey in early 2019, we find that Austria’s short‐term Skills Assessment fails to increase refugees’ employment chances. The Integration Year positively helps employment, but this outcome is limited to refugee women. We conclude that integration programmes only help if they provide refugees with both cultural and social capital. Implications for research and practice are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Ortlieb, Renate & Silvana Weiss (2020): Job quality of refugees in Austria: Trade-offs between multiple workplace characteristics. In: German Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 418-442. DOI:10.1177/2397002220914224

Abstract

"Do employers tend to exploit refugees or do they offer them high-quality jobs? This article examines the job quality of refugees from Afghanistan and Syria working in Austria. It uses unique survey data of 316 refugees and cluster analysis to identify job quality profiles. Drawing on well-established job quality frameworks, it considers multiple dimensions of job quality, including pay, job security, overqualification in terms of level and content area, learning opportunities, at-home feeling and health aspects. The findings reveal four job quality profiles with considerable trade-offs or compromises between job quality dimensions. Furthermore, the job quality profiles are associated with the methods refugees use to find a job. The study enhances understanding of labour market integration of refugees and the associated role of human resource management." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Tervola, Jussi (2020): Different selection processes, different outcomes? Comparing labor market integration of asylum refugees, resettled refugees and their reunited family members in Finland. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 8, H. 1. DOI:10.1186/s40878-020-00183-4

Abstract

"This study compares the longitudinal dynamics of labor market integration between asylum refugees, resettled refugees and their reunited family members. The labor market integration of the three refugee groups are compared by using unique longitudinal register data of total refugee population in Finland during 2003–2015. The results show that among males, family reunion migrants integrate faster than asylum refugees and resettled refugees. Contrary to the previous results from Nordic countries, among females, resettled refugees integrate the fastest and family reunion migrants demonstrate the slowest integration. The overall small differences between admission categories are for the large part explained by discrepancies in observed factors such as fertility patterns among females and arrival during recession among males." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Vogiazides, Louisa & Hernan Mondani (2020): A geographical path to integration? Exploring the interplay between regional context and labour market integration among refugees in Sweden. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 46, H. 1, S. 23-45. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2019.1588717

Abstract

"Migrant integration is an issue at the forefront of political debates in many immigrant-receiving countries. Within academia, a rich body of neighbourhood effects literature examines the significance of the residential environment for the socioeconomic integration of international migrants. Another strand of research explores the associations between immigrants' initial region of residence and their subsequent socioeconomic integration. Existing research focuses on a single dimension of geographical context and on the neighbourhood scale. Using Swedish longitudinal register data, we estimate discrete-time event history models to assess how regional and neighbourhood contexts influence refugees' entry into employment. Our study includes all refugees who arrived in Sweden between 2000 and 2009, distinguishing between three categories of refugees: refugees with assigned housing, refugees with self-arranged housing and quota refugees. Our results reveal a clear pattern where the most advantageous regions for finding a first employment are those at the extremes of the population density distribution: the Stockholm region and small city/rural regions. Refugees residing in Malmö have the lowest probability of entering the labour market. Our study also reiterates existing concerns regarding the negative effects of ethnic segregation at the neighbourhood level on labour market participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Andersson, Lars Frederik, Rikard Eriksson & Sandro Scocco (2019): Refugee immigration and the growth of low-wage work in the EU15. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 7, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1186/s40878-019-0145-3

Abstract

"Our paper focuses on current trends in refugee migration and job polarization. In so doing, we assess the role of refugee migration in relation to institutional, technologically 1 and globalization factors in an effort to trace the factors underlying the growth of low-paying occupations in EU 15 between 1995 and 2017. Our empirical findings suggest that refugee migration has a small but positive and statistically significant impact on the growth of low-wage occupations in the EU 15 as a whole. However, the effect is attributed to Southern Europe and the UK and Irish economies. Despite hosting relatively large numbers of refugee migrants, the effects in the Nordic countries and Continental Europe are negligible, if present, and non-existent in the long run (5?years). When including all migrant workers, we find a limited impact on the growth of low-wage work in general, while the impact of immigrant workers from low-income third party countries becomes positive for the UK and Irish economy, but less for other European macro-regions. This suggests that institutional settings can play an important role in how the economy adjusts to migration. It also suggests that traditional fiscal cost calculations in relation to migration are often overestimated, as they implicitly build on the assumption that refugees and general immigration have great impacts on the growth of low-wage occupations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ansems de Vries, Leonie & Elspeth Guild (2019): Seeking refuge in Europe. Spaces of transit and the violence of migration management. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 45, H. 12, S. 2156-2166. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2018.1468308

Abstract

"In the past few years, spaces of transit have become prominent sites for people seeking refuge in Europe. From railway stations and parks in European cities, to informal settlements around Calais, to the hotspots in Italy and Greece, the movements of people and the techniques that govern them are at the heart of what has been misnamed the 'European refugee crisis'. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, this article takes spaces of transit as a vantage point for interrogating the relationship between mobility, migration management and violence, focusing on the fracturing of journeys due to forced and obstructed mobility both outside and within the EU. We develop the notion of 'politics of exhaustion' to highlight the impact and protracted character of these forms of migration management - its accumulated effects over time and across spaces - yet without reducing people seeking refuge to passive victims. Struggles for mobility are closely related to the existence and continued adaptation of migration management practices. The notion of fracturing can thus be employed not only to make sense of the violent effects of migration management but also the ways in which conventional conceptions of state and citizenship are challenged by the emergence of alternative living spaces, communities and politics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bevelander, Pieter, Fernando Mata & Ravi Pendakur (2019): Housing policy and employment outcomes for refugees. In: International Migration, Jg. 57, H. 3, S. 134-154. DOI:10.1111/imig.12569

Abstract

"With the rise of refugee flows in both Europe and North America, resettlement policies and programmes aimed at enhancing the integration of refugees have come to the fore. The goal of this article is to look at the impact of asylum reception policies on longer term integration. Internationally such policies can range from placing asylum seekers in reception centres (the Netherlands) to dispersal policies aimed at locating asylum seekers in smaller centres (Denmark) to an open system such as Canada in which asylum seekers are pushed into the free market as soon as they are processed. Our study explores this issue through the analysis of a unique policy in Sweden allowing us to focus on the housing choice made by asylum seekers arriving at the border." (Text excerpt, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Bešić, Almina, Klára Fóti, Veronika Vasileva, Petra van Nierop, Elbereth Puts, Norma Rose, Irina Ulcica, Dóra Vajai & Regina Konle-Seidl (2019): Role of public services in integrating refugees and asylum seekers. (Eurofound research report / European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), Luxembourg, 58 S. DOI:10.2806/595692

Abstract

"This study explores the role of public services in the social integration of refugees and asylum seekers. It focuses not only on employment, but also on aspects such as housing, social inclusion, health and education services. It examines a range of integration measures adopted in five EU Member States (Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden) in an attempt to identify the main challenges and the lessons learnt. The countries selected vary in terms of the scale of the inflow, tradition of receiving refugees, labour market conditions, social assistance systems and presence of other migrant groups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chimienti, Milena, Alice Bloch, Laurence Ossipow & Catherine Wihtol de Wenden (2019): Second generation from refugee backgrounds in Europe. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 7, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1186/s40878-019-0138-2

Abstract

"This introduction to the special issue provides a critical state-of-the-art of the literature on second-generation migrants which has hitherto subsumed the case of the children of refugees. It highlights the theoretical and methodological orientations taken by the literature and examines the main findings on the second generation's social, educational, economic, cultural and inter-generational lives, before turning to the few findings available on conditions and performances of children of refugees. The editorial concludes by suggesting gaps in our knowledge and areas for future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Crul, Maurice, Frans Lelie, Özge Biner, Nihad Bunar, Elif Keskiner, Ifigenia Kokkali, Jens Schneider & Maha Shuayb (2019): How the different policies and school systems affect the inclusion of Syrian refugee children in Sweden, Germany, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 7, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1186/s40878-018-0110-6

Abstract

"Since the war in Syria started in 2011, many children left their war-torn country, alone or together with their families, and fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East, to Turkey or to Europe. This article will compare how Syrian refugee children are included - or not - in school systems both in Europe (Sweden, Germany and Greece) and outside Europe (Turkey and Lebanon). These five countries represent very different ways of receiving children in their educational system. We will compare national institutional arrangements like access to compulsory school, access after compulsory school age, welcome or immersion classes, second language education and tracking mechanisms. Including children as soon as possible in regular classes seems to provide the best chances for school success, whereas educating refugee children in a segregated parallel school system for extended periods often results in early school leaving or not attending school at all." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dagnelie, Olivier, Anna Maria Mayda & Jean-François Maystadt (2019): The labor market integration of refugees to the United States. Do entrepreneurs in the network help? In: European Economic Review, Jg. 111, H. January, S. 257-272. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2018.10.001

Abstract

"We investigate whether entrepreneurs in the network of refugees - from the same country of origin - help refugees enter the labor market by hiring them. We analyze the universe of refugee cases without U.S. ties who were resettled in the United States between 2005 and 2010. We address threats to identification due to refugees sorting into specific labor markets and to strategic placement by resettlement agencies. We find that the probability that refugees are employed 90 days after arrival is positively affected by the number of business owners in their network, but negatively affected by the number of those who are employees. This suggests that network members who are entrepreneurs hire refugees, while network members working as employees compete with them, which is consistent with refugees complementing the former and substituting for the latter." (Author's abstract, © 2018 Elsevier) ((en))

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Djuve, Anne Britt & Hanne Cecilie Kavli (2019): Refugee integration policy the Norwegian way. Why good ideas fail and bad ideas prevail. In: Transfer, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 25-42. DOI:10.1177/1024258918807135

Abstract

"Die Integration von nicht-westlichen Flüchtlingen in die hochspezialisierten skandinavischen Arbeitsmärkte hat sich als schwierig erwiesen. Dieses besonders ideologiebesetzte Politikfeld ist ein interessanter Fall für die Untersuchung von politischem Lernen versus politische Ideen in ihrer jeweiligen Rolle als Triebkräfte für institutionellen Wandel oder Kontinuität. Am Fallbeispiel des norwegischen Einführungsprogramms für Flüchtlinge zeigen wir, dass die Anwendung der Kernmaßnahmen des Programms weitgehend unbeeinflusst bleibt von Evaluierungen, die aufzeigen, dass solche Maßnahmen tendenziell sehr bescheidene Auswirkungen auf die Arbeitsmarktintegration von Flüchtlingen haben. Gleichzeitig haben schrittweise Änderungen der Disziplinierungselemente des Programms zu einem immer stärker kontrollierenden Aktivierungssystem geführt. Unsere Interpretation ist, dass ein wesentlicher Faktor für die Intensivierung der Disziplinierungselemente die Annahme war, dass den Teilnehmern die Motivation zur Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt fehle. Darüber hinaus stellen wir fest, dass diese Annahme ein Hindernis für das politische Lernen in Bezug auf die Programmqualität darstellt. Im Rahmen von Aktivierungsmaßnahmen scheinen politische Ideen gleichzeitig als pfadverstärkende kognitive Blockaden und als Triebkräfte für politischen Wandel zu wirken." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Düvell, Franck (2019): The 'Great Migration' of summer 2015. Analysing the assemblage of key drivers in Turkey. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 45, H. 12, S. 2227-2240. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2018.1468385

Abstract

"By 2015, approximately 2.8 million refugees had arrived in Turkey: approximately 2.5 million from Syria and about 300,000 from other countries. By the end of the year, an estimated 850,000 had moved on to Greece and from there on to other E.U. countries. This onward flow represents a sudden change from 2014 when only 51,000 people exited Turkey for the E.U. This article investigates events in Turkey in 2015 in order to explain these processes. The theoretical framework analyses the interplay of what I describe as secondary root causes for flight. It examines conditions in Turkey as first country of arrival and considers the migration infrastructure as well as political opportunities and constraints. This paper is based on findings from two research projects conducted in 2014 and 2015 which included qualitative interviews with refugees and stakeholders, as well as field observations. It considers the main patterns emerging during this period of both inward and secondary migration, as well as changes over time from 2014 to 2016." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Geisen, Thomas & Lea Widmer (2019): Arbeitsintegration als Herausforderung für Flüchtlinge in der Schweiz. In: Migration und Soziale Arbeit, Jg. 41, H. 2, S. 122-128. DOI:10.3262/MIG1902122

Abstract

"Bislang ist der Prozess, in dem das betriebliche Passungsverhältnis hergestellt wird und sich Arbeitsintegration nachhaltig konkretisiert, insbesondere im Kontext von Migration noch kaum untersucht. Vor diesem Hintergrund soll im vorliegenden Beitrag ausgehend von einer wissenschaftlichen Bestimmung des Konzepts der Arbeitsintegration im Kontext von Migration aufgezeigt werden, wie die Erwerbsbeteiligung von Flüchtlingen in der Schweiz aussieht. Anschließend wird der Forschungsstand zur Arbeitsintegration von Flüchtlingen aufgezeigt." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Jestl, Stefan, Michael Landesmann, Sebastian Leitner & Barbara Wanek-Zajic (2019): Employment Gaps Between Refugees, Migrants and Natives: Evidence from Austrian Register Based Labour Market Data. (WIIW working paper 167), Wien, 56 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses labour market integration in Austria of non-European refugees originating from middle and low income countries for the period 2009-2018. We assess their probability of being employed in comparison to non-humanitarian migrants, European third country immigrants and natives. We draw on a register based panel dataset covering the complete labour market careers of all individuals residing in Austria. We control for macro level explanatory variables (e.g. the labour market situation at the time and the place of settlement) and individual characteristics. The analysis shows that initial refugee employment gaps are large in the first years when labour market access is difficult. After a period of seven years the unconditional gap between refugees and natives declines to 30 percentage points, similar to the one of non-humanitarian migrants, but the gap is still further decreasing. After controlling for a set of additional explanatory variables, the conditional gap amounts to only 10 percentage points at the same time. Moreover, our analysis provides insights into differences between employment gaps across population subgroups of immigrant groups and natives by gender, age and education level. Disclaimer Research for this paper was financed by the Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Project No. 17166). Support provided by Oesterreichische Nationalbank for this research is gratefully acknowledged." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Koehler, Claudia & Jens Schneider (2019): Young refugees in education: The particular challenges of school systems in Europe. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 7, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1186/s40878-019-0129-3

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Kohlbacher, Josef & Maria Six-Hohenbalken (Hrsg.) (2019): Die lange Dauer der Flucht - Analysen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis. (ISR-Forschungsberichte 49), Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 347 S.

Abstract

Geflüchtete bestimmen in der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung seit der "refugee crisis" von 2015/16 die integrationsbezogenen Debatten in den meisten Staaten der EU, denn die Flüchtlingszuwanderung aus dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten sowie aus Nordafrika hat Europa vor neue Herausforderungen gestellt. Die Beantwortung der Frage, wie die gesellschaftliche Teilhabe der Geflüchteten zu realisieren ist und auf welche Weise die Integration langfristig gelingt, besitzt hohe gesellschaftspolitische Relevanz. Im vorliegenden Band werden strukturelle und soziale Bereiche der Integration sowie auch individuelle Orientierungen und Teilhabeperspektiven von Geflüchteten dargestellt. Die Analysen wurden teils von Wissenschaftler/inne/n teils von Praktiker/inne/n der Integrationsarbeit verfasst und beziehen sich einerseits auf Diskurse von Flucht und Mobilität und andererseits auf das Ankommen und die Partizipation in Österreich. Es werden Ergebnisse von empirischen Forschungsprojekten zu so vielfältigen Themen wie der Wohnungs- und Arbeitsmarktintegration, zur Bildungsstruktur, zu Wertvorstellungen und sozialen Netzwerken sowie zum individuellen Wohlbefinden präsentiert. Des Weiteren werden Praxisfelder der Hilfe mit dem Fokus auf dem ehrenamtlichen Engagement für und von Geflüchtete(n) berücksichtigt. Zwei Interviews mit Expert/inn/en über die lange Dauer der Flucht und Herausforderungen im Feld der Inklusion runden den Inhalt dieses vielfältigen Bandes ab.

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Landesmann, Michael & Sandra M. Leitner (2019): Various Domains of Integration of Refugees and their Interrelationships: A Study of Recent Refugee Inflows in Austria. (WIIW working paper 168), Wien, 72 S.

Abstract

"This paper addresses the complexity of, and the interrelationships between, two important aspects of integration of refugees in Austria, namely labour market integration and social integration. While labour market integration is captured in terms of being employed as compared to being unemployed or inactive, social integration distinguishes between social networks and their ethnic composition and social capital. It identifies the key determinants of each of these domains of integration and investigates the direction as well as the size of interdependencies among them. The analysis uses a unique dataset built on the basis of a survey of about 1,600 refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran who had come to Austria since 2010. The analysis establishes an important causal link between social integration and labour market integration (i.e. employment). Both social network effects with Austrians as well as with co-ethnics are important in this context but the former is more powerful than the latter. It shows that both education and length of stay are key determinants of successful labour market integration. Furthermore, tests regarding the relevance of language command for both social and labour market integration show the strong importance of speaking and understanding German, and much less so, of writing German. Disclaimer Research for this paper was financed by the Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Project No. 17166). Support provided by Oesterreichische Nationalbank for this research is gratefully acknowledged." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ruist, Joakim (2019): The fiscal lifetime cost of receiving refugees. (CReAM discussion paper 2019,02), London, 18 S.

Abstract

"This study estimates the fiscal consequences of receiving refugees, over the refugees' lifetime. It uses data from Sweden in 2015, and the calculations account for refugees' age, years since immigration, and country of origin. The estimated average annual fiscal net contribution over the lifetime of the average refugee (58 years) ranges from - 12 per cent of GDP per capita for refugees from the countries of origin for which labor market performance has historically been the strongest, to - 22 per cent for those for which it has been the weakest. The estimates imply that if the European Union received all refugees currently in Asia and Africa, the implied average annual fiscal cost over the same time span would be at most 0.6 per cent of GDP." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Scharnhorst, Ursula & Marlise Kammermann (2019): Integrationsvorlehren - eine Flexibilisierung des Zugangs zur Berufsbildung für Geflüchtete in der Schweiz. In: Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis, Jg. 48, H. 5, S. 16-20.

Abstract

"Die Flucht vieler Menschen aus Kriegs- und Krisengebieten im Jahr 2015 führte auch in der Schweiz zu einer starken Zunahme der Asylmigration. Der Bundesrat beschloss daher noch im Dezember 2015 ein Pilotprogramm, um die Potenziale von jugendlichen und erwachsenen Flüchtlingen besser zu nutzen und sie nachhaltiger in die Berufsbildung und den Arbeitsmarkt zu integrieren. Nach einer Vorbereitungsphase starteten die sogenannten Integrationsvorlehren im August 2018. Der Beitrag erläutert Zielsetzung und Rahmenbedingungen des Programms und gibt erste Einblicke in die Umsetzungsmodelle, wie sie in den Kantonen und für bestimmte Berufe entwickelt und umgesetzt wurden." (Autorenreferat)

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Schenner, Johanna K. & Anders Neergaard (2019): Asylum-seekers and refugees within Europe and labour market integration. In: Transfer, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 13-24. DOI:10.1177/1024258919829995

Abstract

"Die vorliegende Themenausgabe von Transfer versucht, die unterschiedlichen Erfahrungen von Asylsuchenden, Menschen unter subsidiärem Schutz und Flüchtlingen, die in den Mitgliedsstaaten der EU und den Ländern des EWR Zugang zum Arbeitsmarkt suchen, zu erforschen und nachzuvollziehen. Der erste Teil dieser Einleitung verschafft einen Überblick über diese drei Gruppen von Menschen und über ihren Status in den Arbeitsmärkten der EU-Mitgliedsstaaten und der EWR-Länder. Der zweite Teil liefert Einblicke, wie die entscheidenden Aspekte der Arbeitsmarktintegration von Asylsuchenden, Menschen mit subsidiärem Schutz und Flüchtlingen anhand der Diskursanalyse von Levitas interpretiert werden können. Im dritten Teil werden unterschiedliche Dimensionen des Zugangs zum Arbeitsmarkt untersucht. Im Vordergrund stehen nicht nur der allgemeine Humankapital-Aspekt der Migration, sondern auch zahlreiche kontextuelle Faktoren: der unterschiedliche Zugang zu staatsbürgerlichen Rechten (civic stratification); der breitere gesellschaftliche Kontext einschließlich der öffentlichen Meinung und der Zivilgesellschaft; der Hintergrund und die Situation früher ins Land gekommener Migranten, insbesondere von Asylsuchenden und Flüchtlingen, im Hinblick auf nationale oder Bundesgesetze; die Herkunftsländer von Migranten und letztendlich demographische Entwicklungen in der EU. Der vierte und letzte Teil erläutert und begründet den Schwerpunkt dieser Themenausgabe von Transfer und weist auf die Relevanz der Thematik hin." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Schenner, Johanna K., Paola Cavanna & Natalia Ollus (2019): Asylum-seekers and the 'hyper-precarity trap' in Austria, Finland and Italy. In: Transfer, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 81-99. DOI:10.1177/1024258918816938

Abstract

"Ausgehend von semi-strukturierten Interviews und Sekundärforschung trägt dieser Artikel zu einem differenzierteren Verständnis der Frage bei, wie Asylbewerber in Österreich, Finnland und Italien in die Falle der 'Hyperprekarität' gelangen können und wie vulnerabel sie im Vergleich zu anderen Arbeitnehmergruppen sind. Der erste Abschnitt des Artikels erläutert die unterschiedlichen Geschehnisse in Österreich, Finnland und Italien in Bezug auf die Aufnahme von Asylbewerbern, bevor er die jüngste Arbeitsmarktdynamik jedes dieser Länder beschreibt. Es folgt eine theoretische Diskussion über die verschiedenen Elemente der 'Hyperprekaritätsfalle', wie sie von Asylbewerbern erlebt werden. Zu diesen Elementen gehören Diskussionen über Prekarität, Vulnerabilität und Rechtsetzung. Im dritten Abschnitt wird erläutert, wie die Interviews und die Sekundärforschung durchgeführt und analysiert wurden. Der vierte und letzte Abschnitt des Artikels stellt die Ergebnisse und ihre Bedeutung vor." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Verwiebe, Roland, Bernhard Kittel, Fanny Dellinger, Christina Liebhart, David Schiestl, Raimund Haindorfer & Bernd Liedl (2019): Finding your way into employment against all odds? Successful job search of refugees in Austria. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 45, H. 9, S. 1401-1418. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2018.1552826

Abstract

"Labour market entry poses enormous challenges for recently arrived refugees, ranging from language barriers, devaluation of human capital, unfamiliarity with customs of the job search process to outright discrimination. How can refugees overcome these challenges and quickly enter gainful employment? In this paper, we draw on interviews with 26 male and female refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, conducted in 2017 and 2018, who came to Austria in 2015 and 2014 and who have successfully entered employment. We depict refugees' own perspectives on and strategies for fast job entry and integration. Personal agency and a proactive approach of seeking and seizing opportunities are key for overcoming initial barriers and entering upon positive integration pathways. At the same time, refugees' personal agency is essential for establishing social ties to the host society, which also play a crucial role in early labour market integration. Finally, institutions of the Austrian labour market (the 'apprenticeship'-system) interact with refugees' agency in most intricate ways, both setting up nearly insurmountable barriers but also providing specific opportunities for refugees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Voncina, Brigita & Nina Marin (2019): What issues do refugees face in integrating into labour markets? Evidence from Slovenia. In: Transfer, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 101-112. DOI:10.1177/1024258918807388

Abstract

"In 2015, the European Union (EU) experienced an unparalleled inflow of refugees. Top destination countries included Sweden and Germany, while countries such as Slovenia were considered to be rather 'transit countries. The number of people granted refugee status in Slovenia increased significantly between January 2015 and July 2018 to 445 persons, while in the 20 years prior to 2015 only 348 people had been granted this status. The annual number of people granted international protection by the Geneva Convention in Slovenia rose to 123 between 2015 and 2017, compared with an annual average of only 18 people granted this same status over the previous 20 years. In principle, the 2016 Slovenian International Protection Act stipulates that refugees are entitled to the same rights as citizens in terms of education, employment and social security. In practice, however, considerable challenges exist.
In Section 1 we analyse the events that have shaped Slovenian law on refugees. In Section 2 we contrast the differences between the characteristics of refugees who came to Slovenia in the 1990s and those of recent refugees. In Section 3 we compare the labour market integration of citizens and of refugees, while in Section 4 we outline the programmes and initiatives recently launched to help refugees to access the labour market. The final Section 5 offers recommendations on how to tackle the different issues refugees experience in striving to become an active labour force in Slovenia." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"This report looks at ways to improve the resilience of systems to deal with the unexpected arrival of large inflows of refugees and other vulnerable migrants. It begins with an overview of the recent flows of migrants seeking protection, discusses the expected economic impact of these flows, and notes what has been an unprecedented multilateral response. It then examines the process of integrating refugees and other vulnerable migrants, in terms of their economic and social outcomes, as well as specific factors of vulnerability. It also provides a comprehensive assessment of the transition policies in place to support their livelihood in destination and transit countries, as well as in origin countries upon return. Finally, the report tackles issues of anticipation, monitoring and reacting, examining the role of early warning mechanisms and the challenge of improving information so as to better monitor integration outcomes and frame policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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OECD (2019): How do OECD countries compare in their attractiveness for talented migrants? (Migration policy debates 19), Paris, 8 S.

Abstract

"Talented and skilled individuals have a key role to play in countries' future prosperity. They hold jobs that are key for innovation and technological progress and ultimately contribute to stronger economic growth with other employment opportunities and better living conditions for all. OECD countries increasingly compete to attract and retain talented workers notably by adopting more favourable migration policies for the best and the brightest. This competition has led to a convergence of policy frameworks but significant differences in policies and practices remain. Beyond conditions for migration, many other factors contribute to shape countries' attractiveness for foreign talent.
This issue of Migration Policy Debates presents the results of the first edition of the OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness, developed by the OECD with support from the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness (ITA) measure for the first time the relative attractiveness of countries from a multidimensional perspective focusing on three types of talented migrants: highly skilled workers at master/PhD level, international students in tertiary education and foreign entrepreneurs. This aims at better understanding and comparing strengths and weaknesses of different OECD countries and can help elaborating public policies that are more effective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Akgündüz, Yusuf Emre & Huzeyfe Torun (2018): Two and a half million Syrian refugees, skill mix and capital intensity. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 186), Maastricht, 27 S.

Abstract

"We investigate how the rapid increase in the low-skilled labor supply induced by the inflow of 2.5 million Syrian refugees changed the tasks performed by native workers and the amount of capital used by firms in Turkey. Despite the unexpected nature of the refugee inflow, location choice of the refugees may be endogenous to the labor market opportunities of hosting regions. To handle this endogeneity issue, we use an instrument for the refugee intensity based on the distance of Turkish regions to the Syrian ones. The results based on Labor Force Survey suggest that the inflow of refugees increased natives' task complexity, reducing the intensity of manual tasks, and raising the intensity of abstract, routine and ICT tasks. This effect is particularly strong for natives with medium level of education. Exploiting the administrative firm data that contains the entirety of firms in the country, we find that the firms reduced their fixed assets. The fixed asset reduction is largest in machinery and equipment, which can be interpreted as a decline in the capital intensity of production. We conclude that tasks provided by Syrian refugees are substitutes for natives' manual tasks and firms' capital, and complementary to natives' more complex tasks." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))