The unemployment crisis in Lebanon is no longer just a number appearing in economic studies, but has turned into a social, psychological, and economic problem threatening the fabric of society and the future of young generations. In a country full of talent, young people find themselves facing two difficult choices: either devastating unemployment within a homeland that offers them no hope, or forced migration in search of a future they deserve.
The unemployment rate today is estimated at about 30%, but experts confirm that the actual figure may be much higher if we take into account “disguised unemployment,” i.e., those who work for low wages that do not match their qualifications or experience.
Migration may not be a new phenomenon, but today it has become collective. The Lebanese youth no longer think about migrating to achieve a dream, but to escape a reality that does not provide a minimum of stability. This human drain may be more dangerous than the financial collapse itself, because with each emigrant, the country loses a future opportunity to develop its economy. In the past five years, hundreds of thousands of young Lebanese have left the country, most of whom are specialists and university graduates, causing Lebanon to lose its elites in medicine, nursing, engineering, programming, and education.
An Absent State and a Suspended Economy:
In this context, sources believe that the decline in the state’s role in addressing the crisis is not a secondary matter. Since the economic collapse in 2019, official institutions have become closed off to their political interests, and any national strategy to provide job opportunities, support productive sectors, or rebuild confidence in the economic environment has been absent, while foreign investment has become almost non-existent, and the ability of the domestic market to absorb young people has declined, especially in light of the bankruptcy of major institutions, the decline in the role of banks, and the contraction of the tourism, agricultural, and industrial sectors.
In contrast, a dynamic movement has emerged in the private sector, associations, and entrepreneurial and educational initiatives, where some universities have begun to focus on digital skills, while technology startups are working to employ Lebanese to work remotely for global markets, which has opened a wide door for young people to work for companies outside Lebanon in exchange for foreign salaries, in an attempt to circumvent the internal economic reality.
As for how to address this problem, experts point to several points that must be worked on, perhaps the most prominent of which is developing an economic plan that depends on production instead of rent, rebuilding confidence in the banking sector, in addition to encouraging foreign investments, supporting the digital and technological sectors, and developing education in line with the labor market. It is also necessary to work on building a real partnership between the state and the private sector.
The Lebanese youth do not need someone to teach them how to dream, but someone who turns their dream into a possible homeland. Lebanon today stands at a crossroads, either to establish a political and economic renaissance capable of restoring the energies of its youth on its land, or to continue pushing its elites to airports… on a journey of no return.
