Integration of Internally Displaced Persons in Urban Labour Markets: A Case Study of the IDP Population in Soacha, Colombia

The literature on the adaptation of international migrant populations to host societies has consistently relied on comparative studies among natives, voluntary migrants and/or forced migrants. Although this approach has been widely used due to the availability of comparative data in countries of destination, it has been rarely used in the study of internally displaced populations and their adaptation to predominantly urban host communities. This article provides a comparative analysis of the labour adaptation of internally displaced persons into formal and informal labour markets. It uses data from an experimental census collected in a municipality with high prevalence of internally displaced persons located in the metropolitan area of Bogota, Colombia. Results from the analysis indicate that internally displaced persons are more likely to be unemployed and more likely to be employed in the informal sector of the economy relative to non-migrants and voluntary migrants. In addition, the probability of employment in the formal sector for the internally displaced decreases over time. The analysis also incorporates gender differences in household composition and household headship across groups with diverse migration experiences. The findings indicate the need for public policies that improve the employment opportunities of the internally displaced populations and other vulnerable populations in urban areas of resettlement.