Internal migration and labour market outcomes among refugees in Sweden

This paper examines the relation between internal migration and labour market outcomes among refugees in Sweden. Using longitudinal data, we find that refugees during their first nine years in Sweden migrate towards big cities and that migration within Sweden is: (i) more common among residents of smaller cities and especially rural areas; (ii) negatively related to marriage and children; (iii) positively related to unemployment and education; and (iv) most common in the first years after arrival. We can also conclude that internal migration alone does not improve the labour market situation for refugees in terms of income, whereas the chances for male refugees to obtain a job might increase. Integration signals, such as citizenship, seem to be of great importance for the refugee labour market integration