Can job search assistance improve the labour market integration of refugees? Evidence from a field experiment

Michele Battisti, Yvonne Giesing and Nadzeya Laurentsyeva

Munich Reprints in Economics from University of Munich, Department of Economics

Abstract: We conducted a field experiment to evaluate the impact of job search assistance on the employment of recently arrived refugees in Germany. The treatment group received job-matching support: an NGO identified suitable vacancies and sent the refugees' CVs to employers. Six months after the start of the treatment, we find no evidence for positive treatment effects on employment. However, after twelve months, we detect positive treatment effects: marginally significant for the full sample and larger in magnitude and significant for lower educated refugees and those who have not yet received a refugee status. These individuals face higher uncertainty about their residence status, they do not search effectively, lack access to alternative support programmes and may be disregarded by employers due to perceived higher hiring costs. Our results suggest that personalised job search assistance can improve labour market integration of these refugee groups by alleviating labour market frictions.

Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Can job search assistance improve the labour market integration of refugees? Evidence from a field experiment (2019)
Working Paper: Can Job Search Assistance Improve the Labour Market Integration for Refugees? Evidence from a Field Experiment (2018)
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