Job Finding and Separation among Syrian refugees in Jordan and Their Hosts during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Refugees face important barriers to participation in the formal market, which locks them in informal employment and makes them more vulnerable to shocks. Using data from Jordan, this paper compares the job finding and separation rates of Syrian refugees to those of their hosts before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show the change in these rates over time for Syrians to be similar to those of their Jordanian hosts prior to the pandemic, with a significant divergence after the start of the pandemic. Distinguishing between Syrians living in camps and those living in host communities shows that the Syrian disadvantage was entirely explained by living in camps