The impact of armed conflicts and forced migration on labour markets: systematic literature review and future research agenda

This study investigates how forced migration resulting from armed conflicts influences regional development, highlighting the double-edged impact it has on labor markets. This study, based on an inter-disciplinary systematic literature review of 70 rigorously-selected peer-reviewed publications over the last 10 years (2013-2023), confronts the findings of studies on migration, armed conflicts and labour markets to shed a light on the economic and social impact of forced migration on host countries, home countries and the migrants themselves. The selected sample of papers highlights the different ways in which forced migration resulting from 25 different armed conflicts affected labor markets. Four main thematic clusters emerge from the literature: the socio-economic impact of armed conflicts on labour markets, the professional development of forced migrants in host countries, the impact of armed conflicts on the labour force of home countries and the social and psychological aspects of forced migration. By bringing together insights from economics, social studies and international relations, the authors make policy recommendations on the combination of factors that allow for a smooth integration of forced migrants into host labour markets.