The official unemployment rate in Lebanon has risen nearly threefold amid the economic collapse plaguing the country, according to a new survey conducted by the Lebanese government and the United Nations, the results of which were published. The Central Administration of Statistics in Lebanon and the International Labour Organization stated in a press release: "The unemployment rate in Lebanon increased from 11.4 percent" during the period from 2018 to 2019 to "29.6 percent in January" of last year.
The study explained that "about a third of the active workforce was unemployed" at the beginning of the year, noting that the unemployment rate among women is higher than that among men. According to the survey, which included a sample of 5,444 households from various governorates, "informal employment, which is not adequately covered by formal arrangements and protection systems, now represents more than sixty percent of total employment in Lebanon."
The survey found that nearly half of the workforce and potential workforce had been "underutilized," a term that refers to unemployment and to individuals available to work more hours than they actually do, or those not seeking employment. According to a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, concerning Lebanon, "nine out of ten people find it difficult to secure an income, and more than six out of ten would leave the country if they could."
