https://hdl.handle.net/10419/191454 2026-10-23T01:15:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318440 Title: Refugee migration, unemployment and anti-asylum attitudes: Evidence from the 1990s Yugoslav refugee crisis Authors: Pecoraro, Marco; Lanz, Bruno; Ruedin, Didier Abstract: This paper examines the short- to long-term effects of large-scale refugee inflows on labour markets and anti-asylum attitudes. Using the exogenous arrival of Yugoslav refugees to Switzerland in the 1990s and municipal-level data with an instrumental variables strategy, we find that refugee exposure increased unemployment and anti-asylum voting in the short term. Over a decade later, the refugee shock is no longer correlated with unemployment, whereas anti-asylum attitudes not only decline but reverse in areas with higher initial exposure, notably in rural municipalities. These results highlight the temporary nature of labour market disruptions and the longer-term shift in anti-asylum attitudes consistent with contact theory. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318540 Title: Educational spillovers of refugee integration: Evidence from language support and ability sorting in Switzerland Authors: Khelifa, Siwar; Lanz, Bruno; Pecoraro, Marco Abstract: We exploit the 1990-2000 inflow of Yugoslav refugees to Geneva to examine two understudied yet policy-relevant integration mechanisms for refugee pupils: language support classes, provided prior to integration into regular classes, and sorting based on academic ability within regular classes. We find that a higher share of refugees in language support classes is associated with a lower probability of grade repetition for lowerachieving immigrant pupils of the same grade and school, but a higher probability for native pupils. Additionally, we find that grouping refugees with incumbents of similar academic ability improves the educational performance of higher-achieving incumbents and lower-achieving immigrants, while negatively affecting lower-achieving natives. Our findings offer novel insights into the trade-offs of refugee integration policies, emphasizing the need to balance support for refugee pupils with minimizing potential adverse effects on incumbent pupils. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318441 Title: Hot waters, cold realities: Assessing the labor market impacts of marine heatwaves on coastal India Authors: Francescutto, Nicola Abstract: I employ geo-coded household-level data over 2015-2016 combined with a gridded dataset to quantify the impact of marine heatwaves on labor market outcomes in coastal India. I construct an average measure of exposure to marine heatwaves for each household and find that one additional degree heating week increases the probability of being unemployed by 1.9-2.3 percentage points. The effect is larger for households experiencing higher levels of marine heat stress, with an increased probability to be unemployed of 5.5-6.5 percentage points. Other findings highlight a decreased probability to work in the fisheries sector, an increased labor market participation of women as well as a lower chance of having a full year employment after a marine heatwave. These findings highlight the potential socio-economic challenges that climate change may pose to coastal households in the coming decades. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/315041 Title: Energy cultures and language border in Switzerland Authors: Farsi, Mehdi; Péclat, Martin; Puntiroli, Michael; Weber, Sylvain Abstract: Energy cultures, broadly defined as shared beliefs, practices, and material preferences that shape energy-related behaviors, provide a useful framework for investigating consumption differences across population groups. We investigate how households' energy demand behavior differ across the French-German language border in Switzerland. Our empirical strategy focuses on a regression discontinuity design, leveraging the clear separation created by the language border. We distinguish between two types of behavior, one linked to mobility and another to electricity consumption. Our results indicate that electricity consumption is relatively stable across the border. On the other hand, households residing in the French-speaking region show on average a greater usage of own vehicle, measured by annual distance traveled. This difference remain significant across the language border, suggesting that cultural elements could drive meaningful differences in private car travel. While we do not find evidence for energy culture differences in electricity demand, our results point to distinct energy cultures with regards to car usage, therefore in the mobility domain. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z