Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
12-30-2024
Year of Publication
2022
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College
Social Work
Department/School/Program
Social Work
Advisor
Dr. Karen Lawrence
Co-Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Christopher Flaherty
Abstract
Refugees are disproportionally more likely to be unemployed. Additionally, women have a higher unemployment rate than men. Prospective gender-stratified research on refugee labor market integration is both rare and needed. The goal of this dissertation was to determine the effects of psychological, social, and demographic factors on employment outcomes within a gender-specific framework.
This secondary data study used data from a representative longitudinal panel study of refugees in Germany. Data spanned two years with collection at two time-points (T1 and T2) including baseline (T1) and one year later (T2). Using a complex samples framework in SPSS, logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between employment outcomes and psychological, social, and demographic factors. Primary predictors measured at T1 included mental distress, refugee related anxiety severity, resilience, German language skills, integration course attendance, amount of time spent with people from country of origin, amount of time spent with Germans, amount of time spent with people from other countries, feeling welcomed and discrimination. Two outcome variables were measured at T2, employment status (employed vs. unemployed) and gaining employment (from T1 to T2).
Findings indicated that psychological factors did not impact employment status or gaining employment for either men or women. For men, German language skills, amount of time spent with people from other countries, and integration course attendance predicted both T2 employment status and gaining employment from T1 to T2 whereas amount of time spent with people from Germany was an additional predictor of T2 employment status. For women, German language skills, amount of time spent with Germans and amount of time spent with people from other countries predicted both T2 employment status and gaining employment from T1 to T2, whereas integration course attendance was an additional predictor of T2 employment status. Thus, men and women had both overlapping and unique predictors of employment outcomes.
These findings provide insight into gender-specific factors important to employment outcomes and therefore, labor market integration, in men and women refugees in Germany with implications for programs and services aimed at supporting successful refugee integration.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2022.465
Recommended Citation
Pachner, Theresia M., "AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS ON LABOR MARKET INTEGRATION IN A GENDER STRATIFIED SAMPLE OF REFUGEES IN GERMANY" (2022). Theses and Dissertations--Social Work. 41.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/csw_etds/41
