Syrian Refugees in the Turkish Labour Market: A Socio-Economic Analysis

Abstract

This article explores the socio-economic conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey with the help of the Household Labour Force Survey. Firstly, it describes and analyses some of the challenges derived from an expansive population pyramid, low school attendance rates and high labour market attachment from an early age. Then, it assesses the employment and wage structure of Syrian workers, including the estimation of returns to schooling and a test for employer discrimination towards Syrian refugees. On the one hand, the results suggest that refugees are not discriminated against comparable Turkish employees. On the other hand, for Syrians with university degrees, informal work arrangements and lack of prior learning recognition make their return to schooling five times lower than that of formally employed Turkish citizens.