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  3. American Economic Review
  4. May 2015
  5. The Labor Market Impacts of Forced Migration

The Labor Market Impacts of Forced Migration

  • Isabel Ruiz
  • Carlos Vargas-Silva
American Economic Review
vol. 105, no. 5, May 2015
(pp. 581-86)
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Abstract

During the 1990s the Kagera region of Tanzania experienced a forced migration shock. A series of geographical barriers led to a higher concentration of forced migrants in some parts of the region relative to others, resulting in a natural experiment. Using panel data (pre and post forced migration shock), we find that greater exposure to the refugee shock resulted in Tanzanians having a lower likelihood of working outside the household as employees. However, employees more affected by the shock had a higher probability of being in professional occupations and being part of a pensions program.

Citation

Ruiz, Isabel, and Carlos Vargas-Silva. 2015. "The Labor Market Impacts of Forced Migration." American Economic Review, 105 (5): 581-86. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20151110

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
  • J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
  • J45 Public Sector Labor Markets
  • J61 Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
  • O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
  • O18 Economic Development: Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
  • R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics