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Employer Attitudes towards Refugee Immigrants

Author

Listed:
  • Lundborg, Per

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research)

  • Skedinger, Per

    (Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN))

Abstract

We present a large survey with responses from Swedish firms on their attitudes towards refugees, regarding hiring, job performance, wage setting and discrimination. Generally, firms report positive experiences of having refugees as employees, but we also document a great deal of heterogeneity in attitudes. Firms that ceased to have refugees on the payroll are less satisfied with their job performance, which seems related to poor language skills and less screening of refugees but not to discrimination of them by staff or customers. While most firms agree with statements that wage cuts negatively affect worker cohesion, effort or the quality of applicants, employers who consider such cuts as employment-enhancing tend to not agree.

Suggested Citation

  • Lundborg, Per & Skedinger, Per, 2014. "Employer Attitudes towards Refugee Immigrants," Working Paper Series 1025, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:1025
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lundborg , Per & Skedinger, Per, 2014. "Minimum Wages and the Integration of Refugee Immigr ants," Working Paper Series 4/14, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Refugee immigrants; Labour demand; Discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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