News Finding: Canton Actual With algorithm OW 0% 40% TI 4% 32% FR 4% 15% LU 7% 18% VS 7% 14% VD 8% 8% BL 11% 12% AG 11% 21% GE 13% 23% ZH 15% 7% BE 16% 35% JU 17% 21% SG 17% 28% SH 20% 51% UR 20% 48% ZG 20% 61% GL 22% 42% BS 25% 25% NE 25% 11% SO 25% 64% GR 29% 64% NW 29% 45% SZ 29% 18% TG 30% 33% AR 33% 46%
  
  Here's roughly how the algorithm works: The process starts with a series of models trained to predict where a certain type of refugee is likely to fare best based on previous cases.
Paper Finding: In Switzerland, for example, we find that the ability to speak French (i.e., among French-speaking African refugees) results in a larger payoff for refugees assigned to Frenchspeaking cantons than for those assigned to German-speaking cantons ( fig.
News Context: Location Actual With algorithm 1 0% 75% 2 0% 4% 3 0% 10% 4 0% 15% 5 0% 36% 6 6% 62% 7 6% 59% 8 9% 39% 9 9% 54% 10 17% 20% 11 21% 52% 12 21% 47% 13 24% 43% 14 25% 47% 15 26% 31% 16 26% 41% 17 28% 12% 18 29% 41% 19 29% 42% 20 31% 70% 21 31% 65% 22 32% 46% 23 38% 35% 24 40% 76% 25 40% 42% 26 48% 71% 27 48% 58% 28 48% 69% 29 50% 48% 30 50% 40% 31 50% 86% 32 52% 44% 33 56% 58% 34 62% 69% 35 93% 62%
  
  In Switzerland, the algorithm would have increased refugees' employment chances to 26% from 15%. Canton Actual With algorithm OW 0% 40% TI 4% 32% FR 4% 15% LU 7% 18% VS 7% 14% VD 8% 8% BL 11% 12% AG 11% 21% GE 13% 23% ZH 15% 7% BE 16% 35% JU 17% 21% SG 17% 28% SH 20% 51% UR 20% 48% ZG 20% 61% GL 22% 42% BS 25% 25% NE 25% 11% SO 25% 64% GR 29% 64% NW 29% 45% SZ 29% 18% TG 30% 33% AR 33% 46%
  
  Here's roughly how the algorithm works: The process starts with a series of models trained to predict where a certain type of refugee is likely to fare best based on previous cases. In other words, the locations and the number of refugees remain the same, they are just matched more precisely and systematically.
Paper Context: This indicates that there are synergies between places and people; certain characteristics will make a refugee a better match for a particular location. In Switzerland, for example, we find that the ability to speak French (i.e., among French-speaking African refugees) results in a larger payoff for refugees assigned to Frenchspeaking cantons than for those assigned to German-speaking cantons ( fig. A separate model was fit for subgroups of refugees assigned to each location, thus yielding different models for each location and allowing for the discovery of refugee/location synergies.