Development over marginalization

Sammanfattning: Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria 2011, nearly 11 million people have been displaced from their homes and an estimated 1,4 million Syrian refugees have fled to Jordan. The host country has not only been obliged to meet humanitarian needs, but is now facing big integration challenges with this demographic boom. Efforts have been made to provide formal jobs to Syrian refugees in order to integrate them through work in the protracted migration-situation. However, Syrian refugees meet many barriers to gain formal employment and many are still unemployed or working in the widespread informal labour market. This study investigates the perceived barriers from a microeconomic perspective and focus on the deliberation process over formal and informal work. A mixed method approach is used to collect data during eight weeks in Jordan through both interviews and distribution of a questionnaire. The quantitative data is also used to identify personal differences in perceptions using a linear probability model. The result show that a combination of structural and cognitive barriers creates difficulties in gaining formal employment, with lack of mobility and closed sectors as the main identified obstacles. Age, level of education and length of stay in Jordan affects the perceived barriers while no significant effect on risk-aversion can be shown.