Labour Market Participation of Refugees in Germany : Legal Context and Individual-level Factors

Abstract

Labour market access is a crucial aspect of integration. Among other things, it providesmigrants with economic resources to participate in societal life in the hostcountry. This chapter explores the factors of labour market access for refugees inGermany. First, we provide a brief overview of how labour market access is determinedby legal status. Second, we explore individual aspects of labour market accessusing the German IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees. Results show that male,young, and highly educated refugees have a higher chance of being employed. Furthermore,the data indicate that mental well-being is positively correlated with havinggainful employment.