Fast-Tracked Jobs Help Asylum Seekers Integrate Faster

Giovanni Abbiati (), Erich Battistin, Paola Monti () and Paolo Pinotti ()
Additional contact information
Giovanni Abbiati: University of Brescia
Paola Monti: Fondazione Rodolfo DeBenedetti
Paolo Pinotti: Bocconi University

No 17859, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We evaluate a labor market integration program that fast-tracked asylum seekers into the Italian labor market through personalized job mentoring, placement assistance, and on-the-job training. Leveraging randomized assignment across reception centers and individual-level administrative records, we find effects on employment rates of $10$ percentage points, or $30\%$ over the baseline, over a 18-month period. The program also improved job quality through increased access to fixed-term and open-ended contracts. Subsidized internships were a critical pathway to transitioning participants into standard employment. Survey data indicate that these effects reflect a net increase in employment, rather than a shift from informal to formal jobs. We also document broader benefits on socioeconomic integration, including language proficiency and social networks with native Italians.

Keywords: job mentoring; labor market integration; asylum seekers; socioeconomic integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C90 D04 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-iue, nep-lab and nep-mig
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Working Paper: Fast-Tracked Jobs Help Asylum Seekers Integrate Faster (2025)
Working Paper: Fast-Tracked Jobs Help Asylum Seekers Integrate Faster (2025)
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