Country Spotlight

 
In 2002, Syria’s total unemployment rate was approximately 12%, a common figure in the region. What makes the Syrian situation unique is youth unemployment – alarmingly, youth represent 77% of total unemployment, the highest ratio in the region (for countries with available data). Furthermore, more than 75% of those in a 2005 School-to-Work Transition Survey had been seeking employment for more than a year. Those who are employed report prevailing underemployment, characterized by low wages, low quality or a combination of both. 

Government Strategy, Reforms, and the Preferences of Syrian Youth

As labor force supply pressures strengthen and the country confronts new economic challenges, such as becoming a net oil importer within five years, the government is pursuing a “social market economy.” This effort entails a series of economic and social reforms, including public sector retrenchment and reduction of subsidies. Simultaneously, the government plans to build other, more sustainable social safety nets that maintain the state’s centrality.

But while officials have public-sector retrenchment on their agenda, 80% of unemployed youth continue to seek jobs in the public sector, and 60% are unwilling to look elsewhere. Although the flat wage structure does not necessarily reward higher education, young Syrians, like their counterparts in their neighboring countries, choose to seek more education in large part to gain employment in the public sector. This situation illustrates the common mismatch between educational attainment and labor market demands in the region. Young women specifically are targeting public sector employment, which continues to offer them the most competitive wages, generous benefits, and a culturally suitable atmosphere. Young men, eligible to receive higher wages in the private sector, nevertheless choose the public sector for “security and stability.”