INTRODUCTION
Since the start of the Syria crisis, Lebanon has welcomed the second largest number of refugees in the MENA region. The arrival of Syrian refugees into Lebanon has vastly altered the labour market landscape in the country – one that was already characterised by a vast, poorly regulated informal sector.
Indeed, unemployment rates that were already problematic in Lebanon before the crisis have increased dramatically since 2011 ― unemployment levels nationwide have doubled to 20% ― and were exacerbated in part by multifarious pressures arising from the 1.3 million newcomers into the country in the last years. Unemployment rates notably included a (largely unskilled) labour force that was 50% larger than prior to the Syrian crisis.
According to the recently released Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) for 2015/2016, it is estimated that a third of Lebanese youth are now unemployed ― which represents a 50% increase since 2011. Women are also disproportionately affected by the deteriorating economic conditions in the country. Predictions for Lebanon’s GDP growth in the coming year are low (at 2%), which marks a vast difference from an average of 9% GDP increase per year prior to 2011. In addition, the number of overall poor people in Lebanon has risen to 2.1 million, a figure which also accounts for the thousands of Syrians seeking refuge in the country.
Bilateral agreement between Lebanon and Syria, signed nearly two decades before the crisis, permit citizens from each country to work in the other, and have historically facilitated labour force mobility. While such agreements suggest that it is theoretically possible for Syrian workers to be legally employed in Lebanon, there appear to be few instances in which such relationships are formalised. As a result, Syrian workers lack basic social and legal protections. There is inconsistent information on the percentage of Syrian refugees who hold any kind of employment or are employed in Lebanon, with estimates ranging from 17% to 33% according to the 2014 Inter-Agency Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA).
Even amongst refugees who are employed, work is but one strategy employed by refugee households, who are often unable to meet basic needs with work, humanitarian assistance, and/or the use of coping mechanisms alone. The MSNA estimated that employment may account for 60% of a refugee household income, with remittances and savings also figuring prominently as coping strategies. While employment is an important source of income for a significant segment of the refugee population, opportunities are often temporary, irregular and exploitative. Little is known about the types of working conditions Syrian workers face on a daily basis. For example, the MSNA identified the adoption of illegal and risky livelihoods strategies, a subject that requires further analysis.
A notable decrease in employment opportunities and wages, as well as a marked increase in competition for jobs, has created a precarious living situation for a significant proportion of the population of both host and displaced communities living in Lebanon.
