[paper], [policy brief]
Abstract
How are the Syrian refugees in Jordan faring in protracted displacement? This paper leverages the 2016 and 2025 waves of the Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey to explore how the Syrian refugees, who arrived in Jordan starting in 2011, have struggled or succeeded over time. The paper explores the evolution of refugees’ demographics – age, sex, marital status, and household composition – as well as key legal and regulatory aspects of their identities, such as registration with the government and UNHCR, along with residence in camps. Syrian refugees are a young population, but have recently had declining fertility, rising ages at marriage, and reductions in child marriage. The analyses examine educational enrollment and attainment over time, with a particular focus on differences by sex, age, and place of residence. Syrian refugees’ school enrollment has increased over time. The paper also investigates refugees’ wellbeing, including health, health insurance, access to health care, and mental health over time. A particular focus is on refugees’ livelihood strategies, including not only labor market participation, but also legal and social supports, such as work permits, cash-for-work programs, and social assistance receipt. Labor force participation rates increased for Syrian refugees from 2016 to 2025, driven by increases in both employment and unemployment. Refugees remain largely informally employed when they find work. Lastly, the paper explores Syrian refugees’ intentions to return or migrate elsewhere. More than half of Syrian refugees hope to return to Syria and most of those hope to do so within a year.