Postdoc Integration Activities Improving Refugees’ Position in the Labor Market

at  Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Public Administration and Sociology is currently recruiting for a postdoctoral position as part of the NWO-funded project ‘Integration Activities for Improving Refugees’ Position in the Labor Market’, led by Dr. Agnieszka Kanas.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Executing factorial survey experiments among case workers in the Netherlands;
• Conducting innovative research leading to academic publications;
• Participating in other activities of the project, such as organizing a workshop, contributing to public debate, and managing outreach activities of the project;
• Contributing to the teaching activities of the department ;
• Collaborating with other researchers within the Policy, Politics and Society (PPS) team and the Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS).
• Completed PhD in Sociology, Public Administration, Social Policy, Political Science, Psychology, or other related disciplines;
• Strong academic record;
• Strong and explicit interest and motivation for scientific research;
• Excellent command of English;
• Expertise in quantitative research, including advanced statistics;
• Candidates are selected on the basis of their CVs, motivation, academic references, and interview(s) with potential supervisors.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

Are you a social scientist seeking an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research? We are currently seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join our research team for a project funded by NWO. Our aim is to address labor market difficulties faced by refugees and gain insights into two key questions: How do employers respond to refugees’ participation in integration activities? And how do public service caseworkers influence refugees’ access to integration programs? By examining different types of employers and refugee workers and placing emphasis on the discretion of caseworkers in allocation decisions, our research will provide a comprehensive understanding of which integration interventions are effective, for whom, and why.
The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in the research subproject focusing on public sector caseworkers in the Netherlands. Integration programs are designed to mitigate labor market inequalities and assist those most in need. However, the realization of these goals is contingent on selectivity into integration programs. Evidence suggests that assignment to integration programs is based on effectiveness rather than inclusiveness principles. Those with the highest potential to re-enter the labor market are often assigned to programs with the highest efficacy, while those most in need of integration measures, such as long-term unemployed individuals or immigrants, are allocated to less efficacious activities. In this subproject, we propose factorial survey experiments to investigate whether caseworkers make different allocation decisions based on the client’s refugee status and additional characteristics. The survey experiments will address questions about whether refugees are less likely to be allocated to integration programs than other groups of immigrants and whether the allocation decision further varies by geographic origin, educational attainment, and gender.
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a strong background in advanced statistical methods and experience in or eagerness to develop expertise in factorial survey experiments. The postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to shape and adapt elements of the research project and will join a dynamic team where s(he) will receive the necessary support and resources to make significant contributions to the field. The project grant provides a budget to cover publication fees, conference fees, and to cover the costs of travel to international conferences and workshops.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Executing factorial survey experiments among case workers in the Netherlands;
• Conducting innovative research leading to academic publications;
• Participating in other activities of the project, such as organizing a workshop, contributing to public debate, and managing outreach activities of the project;
• Contributing to the teaching activities of the department ;
• Collaborating with other researchers within the Policy, Politics and Society (PPS) team and the Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS).
• Completed PhD in Sociology, Public Administration, Social Policy, Political Science, Psychology, or other related disciplines;
• Strong academic record;
• Strong and explicit interest and motivation for scientific research;
• Excellent command of English;
• Expertise in quantitative research, including advanced statistics;
• Candidates are selected on the basis of their CVs, motivation, academic references, and interview(s) with potential supervisors