Improving Refugees Labor Market Integration in Developing Countries

Many governments and international institutions are working to create economic opportunities for refugees in prolonged crises. Yet refugees, especially in developing countries, may find it particularly hard to access local job markets. By exploring the Ugandan labor market for refugee and local young job seekers, this project will design and evaluate a program with the aim of reducing the prevalence of labor market discrimination against refugees. In collaboration with a local NGO, this study will provide employment subsidies to hire a refugee or a local job seeker. By studying the effect of exposure and how firms learn about the true productivity of workers, researchers will assess whether the program reduces the extent of discrimination and whether labor market outcomes improve.