Doctoral Dissertation Research: Factors Affecting the Economic Integration of Refugees

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Each year the U.S. receives approximately 70,000 refugees for permanent resettlement. The principle goals of resettlement are integration and self-sufficiency, and refugee adaptation has been a persistent subject of inquiry for immigration research. Existing literature examines how diverse skills and life experiences have contributed to divergent trajectories of social and economic integration. Despite extensive research into the effects of skills and life experiences on the economic integration of refugees there is a great deal of variation in economic outcomes that are not understood. Moreover, measuring the degree to which a refugee is capable of deploying their skills and training has been quite difficult and has rarely been done. The purpose of this study is to understand the factors contributing to the successful economic integration of refugees. It builds on the existing literature by examining skills, life experiences, and contexts with attention to the potential barriers that restrict the individual's capability of using their assets to promote integration and self-sufficiency. The researchers will use a mixed methods approach to analyze several forms of economic integration including labor market participation, the acquisition of a livable wage, and occupational mobility. Quantitative data for the study comes from the individual case files of refugees seeking employment assistance at the Refugee and Immigrant Center of Utah. Sets of characteristics that comprise individual capabilities will be identified using Qualitative Comparative Analysis. This analysis will determine the necessary and sufficient factors that generate several different recipes for successful economic integration. These individual factors and "recipes for success" will then be analyzed for their affect on the duration between arrival in the U.S., labor market participation and the acquisition of a livable wage using Event History Analysis. Qualitative data will be collected in a series of focus groups with local service providers and with refugees. Insights from focus groups will be triangulated with quantitative data to enhance our understanding of refugee capabilities and their relationship to economic outcomes. By better understanding the factors that shape the early economic integration experiences of refugees, we will be better equipped to promote sustainable self-sufficiency after resettlement.