Labor market integration of refugees: An institutional country-comparative perspective

Abstract

To examine variations in refugee labor market integration from country to country we first conceptualize integration success as an attribute and outcome of a two-way process involving multiple actors whose roles and activities are enabled and restricted by the institutional environment in the host country. We then develop a framework that specifies macro factors influencing successful refugee labor market integration. In particular, our framework elucidates how regulative, cognitive, and normative aspects of the national institutional environment in the host country create different conditions for refugee employment, thereby shaping three stages of the integration process: (1) arrival and asylum procedure; (2) finding employment; and (3) workplace inclusion. Finally, we discuss theoretical and practical implications of this research.