Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany
Germany hosts one of the largest populations of Syrian refugees in Europe, making their successful labor market integration critical for social and economic stability. This study investigates the gender gap among Syrian refugees in Germany within the broader refugee–native labor market gap. Using cr...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
AUC Knowledge Fountain
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613431830413312 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Al-Mekhlafy, Feras |
| author_browse | Al-Mekhlafy, Feras |
| author_facet | Al-Mekhlafy, Feras |
| author_sort | Al-Mekhlafy, Feras |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Germany hosts one of the largest populations of Syrian refugees in Europe, making their successful labor market integration critical for social and economic stability. This study investigates the gender gap among Syrian refugees in Germany within the broader refugee–native labor market gap. Using cross-sectional data from the 2022 SOEP refugee survey, it applies a Heckman two-step selection model to jointly analyze employment and wage outcomes while correcting for selection bias. Results reveal that structural barriers (e.g.: legal and bureaucratic) and compositional factors (e.g.: human capital) rather than wage discrimination drive most observed disparities. Female refugees face significantly lower employment probabilities, highlighting persistent access barriers, yet once employed, their wages do not differ systematically from men’s after accounting for selection. Human capital indicators such as vocational or college education and prior full-time work experience strongly predict employment, though their wage effects vanish after bias correction. Integration factors like German language proficiency, social interaction with locals, and completion of BAMF courses positively influence employment, while current course enrollment reduces wages due to time trade-offs. Regional differences favor West Germany, and unemployment history exhibits a “scarring effect,” lowering employment chances. Findings highlight underemployment and suggest that gender inequality lies primarily in labor market entry rather than pay. By leveraging recent data and robust methodology, this study contributes new evidence to refugee integration research and informs policies aimed at reducing structural barriers. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3733 |
| institution | American University in Cairo (Egypt) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:35:59.828Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| publisherStr | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| spelling | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3733 Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany Al-Mekhlafy, Feras Germany hosts one of the largest populations of Syrian refugees in Europe, making their successful labor market integration critical for social and economic stability. This study investigates the gender gap among Syrian refugees in Germany within the broader refugee–native labor market gap. Using cross-sectional data from the 2022 SOEP refugee survey, it applies a Heckman two-step selection model to jointly analyze employment and wage outcomes while correcting for selection bias. Results reveal that structural barriers (e.g.: legal and bureaucratic) and compositional factors (e.g.: human capital) rather than wage discrimination drive most observed disparities. Female refugees face significantly lower employment probabilities, highlighting persistent access barriers, yet once employed, their wages do not differ systematically from men’s after accounting for selection. Human capital indicators such as vocational or college education and prior full-time work experience strongly predict employment, though their wage effects vanish after bias correction. Integration factors like German language proficiency, social interaction with locals, and completion of BAMF courses positively influence employment, while current course enrollment reduces wages due to time trade-offs. Regional differences favor West Germany, and unemployment history exhibits a “scarring effect,” lowering employment chances. Findings highlight underemployment and suggest that gender inequality lies primarily in labor market entry rather than pay. By leveraging recent data and robust methodology, this study contributes new evidence to refugee integration research and informs policies aimed at reducing structural barriers. 2026-02-15T08:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2671 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3733/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Syrian Refugees Labor Market Integration Gender Gap Germany Heckman Two-Step Model SOEP Selection Bias Human Capital Wage Discrimination Structural Barriers Labor Economics Migration Studies |
| spellingShingle | Syrian Refugees Labor Market Integration Gender Gap Germany Heckman Two-Step Model SOEP Selection Bias Human Capital Wage Discrimination Structural Barriers Labor Economics Migration Studies Al-Mekhlafy, Feras Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany |
| title | Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany |
| title_full | Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany |
| title_short | Gender, Integration, and Labor Market Access: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Germany |
| title_sort | gender integration and labor market access the case of syrian refugees in germany |
| topic | Syrian Refugees Labor Market Integration Gender Gap Germany Heckman Two-Step Model SOEP Selection Bias Human Capital Wage Discrimination Structural Barriers Labor Economics Migration Studies |
| url | https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2671 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3733/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT almekhlafyferas genderintegrationandlabormarketaccessthecaseofsyrianrefugeesingermany |