The Syrian refugee labor supply shock in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon: a literature review of critical impacts on labor markets, economies and policies

Abstract

It is well documented that Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are the countries accepting the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world. Syrians have helped to increase the growth rate of economies and create jobs but concerns exist about competition and stagnation in wages for low skilled nationals due to the labor supply shock. This paper, based on a thorough exploration of the literature, finds a critical lack of sustained research on refugee impacts on host countries' labor markets, economies and politics in Middle Eastern contexts. It endeavors to identify the impacts of the Syrian refugee labor supply shocks in the host countries of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan on national economies and labor markets and on national policies.