Low‐skilled jobs, language proficiency, and job opportunities for refugees: an experimental study

In a field experiment, we study the causal effects of previous experience and language skills when newly arrived Syrian refugees in Sweden apply for low‐skilled jobs. We find no evidence of sizable effects from previous experience or completed language classes on the probability of receiving a callback from employers. However, female applicants were more likely than males to receive a positive response. As a complement to the experiment, we interview a select number of employers, which provides additional insights into how they judge candidates for low‐skilled jobs.