Win-Win: Why Employers Should Hire Refugees

Abstract

For a variety of reasons, including language and cultural barriers, lack of American work history, and limited social contacts, refugees have a difficult time obtaining employment when they resettle in America. By looking past these barriers and adopting a practice of employing recently-arrived refugees, employers have tremendous prospects for improving their business because refugee employees typically demonstrate strong work ethic, positive attitude, high productivity, and low turnover. Employing refugees is not only a strategic business practice; by employing refugees, employers provide opportunities that are essential for recently-arrived refugees to become economically self-sufficient, improve English language skills, begin an American work history, and form social connections. Working with refugee employment services, employers should continue to explore how to adopt a practice of including refugees in the hiring process in order to create shared value for their business and the community.