Ill Take Any Job: These Syrian Refugees Are Struggling To Find Work In America

ELIZABETH, N.J. ― Mohamad Aljahmani once owned an eponymous interior design business in Aleppo, Syria, until war broke out in 2011. He specialized in home design, mostly decorating living rooms and children’s bedrooms. The city quickly devolved into one of the central staging grounds of the conflict, and Aljahmani fled with his family to neighboring Jordan in 2012. He did freelance design work to make ends meet. Eventually, he found out that his family was being considered for resettlement in the United States. They successfully made it through the 18- to 24-month vetting process and arrived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a few months ago.

Aljahmani, 38, is unemployed, but dreams of being financially independent again. Right now, though, he’s focused on learning English and creating a portfolio, a website and business cards. He is about to begin language courses at Union County College, where he hopes to transition back into interior design and obtain an associate degree. Without any current source of income, Aljahmani and his family rely on welfare assistance to keep the lights on and put food on the table. Yet he’s made the conscious choice to pursue an education with an eye toward long-term stability, rather than scoop up any low-paying job that requires few qualifications.

Aljahmani’s situation is not uncommon, but it’s clear that refugees who resettle in the United States approach the question of employment and financial security in a variety of ways.

With the help of the social services nonprofit ICNA Relief USA, The Huffington Post interviewed several other Syrian men who are now refugees about their job situations. Most said they come from working-class backgrounds, and they all viewed themselves as the primary breadwinners of their families ― compounding the pressure on them to bring in money each month. Some felt comfortable allowing their wives to work, while others said they weren’t accustomed to the concept and would prefer that their wives stay home and care for the children.

The men could be divided into two groups ― those who are actively looking for work but struggling to find any, and those who have resigned themselves to not working. None of the men came here with any knowledge of English. Many have pre-existing medical conditions that often make physical labor difficult (a number of the jobs that would be available to them require manual labor). Some men also said they were dependent on welfare ― which sometimes offers more money per month than a minimum-wage job. They cited this as a reason they aren’t committed to finding work.

read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/syrian-refugees-find-work_us_589378f4e4b05c775abe717c