Jordan's Mariel Boatlift: An Examination of Effects of an Exogenous Labor Market Shock

This work contributes to the extant research on how the Syrian refugee crisis impacted the Jordanian labor market. Prior work examines the labor-market impact by focusing on lower-skilled labor and wages, isolated from Jordan's overall economic conditions. I draw on a previously unused data source to extend the current literature by considering the differential effects of the crisis on both high- and low-skilled workers. I find that while all categories of workers in Jordan saw lower wages following the refugee influx consequent to the Syrian civil war, the effect was smaller for low-skilled laborers. This finding suggests that while the prevailing conditions of Jordan's economy may have resulted in lower wages, the Syrian refugees may have created a net positive labor demand shock for existing low-skilled workers.