One year later: the employment experiences of Syrian refugees in the greater Toronto area

This qualitative study explores the employment experiences of Syrian refugees one year after their arrival in Canada through a segmented labour market and different forms of capital framework. Ten Syrian refugees and 3 key informants were interviewed to explore Syrian refugees’ barriers to employment, support channels, employment outcomes, and future career goals in Canada. The findings of this study show that insufficient English skills, lack of Canadian work experience, poor mental health, and a limited understanding of the Canadian labour market are the greatest challenges these Syrian refugees encountered accessing the labour market. Privately sponsored refugees were more likely to be employed than government-assisted refugees. Overall, Syrian refugees are in need of greater support from the government to help promote successful economic integration. Keywords: Syrian refugees, employment outcomes, privately sponsored refugees, government assisted refugees, segmented labour market, forms of capital