Lebanon: the labour market
Labour force is 1.8m (2023), 128th of 187 in the world and 19th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Participation rate is 43.4% (2023), 170th of 187 in the world and 15th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Women's participation is 22.2% (2023), 173rd of 187 in the world and 12th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa.
Labour: Lebanon in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour forceLabour force, total | 1.8m2023 | 128/187 | 19/23 | 1.3m | 1.7m | 1.9m | −6.6%since 2013 | 264m | 1.2bn | 3.7bn | |
| Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+ | 43.4%2023 | 170/187 | 15/23 | 44.2% | 44.8% | 47.4% | −2.7 ppsince 2013 | 47.4% | 58.2% | 61.0% | |
| Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+ | 22.2%2023 | 173/187 | 12/23 | 19.7% | 22.8% | 25.9% | −2.5 ppsince 2013 | 19.7% | 39.2% | 48.9% | |
| Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO) | 38.7%2023 | 169/187 | 13/23 | 40.4% | 41.7% | 41.2% | −3.6 ppsince 2013 | 43.7% | 55.6% | 58.1% | |
| UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO) | 11.0%2023 | 34/187 | 11/23 | 8.6% | 6.8% | 13.3% | +2.5 ppsince 2013 | 7.8% | 4.5% | 4.8% | |
| Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO) | 14.5%2023 | 24/187 | 13/23 | 10.4% | 10.7% | 16.2% | +2.3 ppsince 2013 | 12.1% | 4.9% | 4.9% | |
| Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO) | 22.7%2023 | 38/187 | 10/23 | 21.2% | 16.1% | 26.6% | +3.6 ppsince 2013 | 18.7% | 13.1% | 13.4% | |
| Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, % | 23.5%2019 | 57/170 | 10/16 | · | · | 23.5%2019 | +2.2 ppsince 2007 | 32.2% | 21.8% | — | |
| Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment | 71.6%2023 | 84/187 | 14/23 | 69.2% | 70.5% | 71.0% | +0.8 ppsince 2013 | 61.0% | 29.6% | 53.6% | |
| Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO) | 19.4%2023 | 118/187 | 12/23 | 26.3% | 20.5% | 20.1% | −0.8 ppsince 2013 | 36.1% | 65.5% | 42.4% | |
| Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment | 3.5%2023 | 143/187 | 14/23 | 5.4% | 3.9% | 3.6% | −0.3 ppsince 2013 | 21.7% | 39.8% | 25.8% | |
| Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment | 20.1%2023 | 78/187 | 16/23 | 24.1% | 23.6% | 20.7% | −2.9 ppsince 2013 | 26.6% | 22.4% | 23.7% | |
| Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment | 76.4%2023 | 34/187 | 5/23 | 70.5% | 72.5% | 75.7% | +3.2 ppsince 2013 | 51.7% | 37.8% | 50.6% |
Better than ten years ago
- Wage workers+0.8 pp71.6% in 2023
- Vulnerable employment−0.8 pp19.4% in 2023
Worse than ten years ago
- Women's participation−2.5 pp22.2% in 2023
- Employment rate−3.6 pp38.7% in 2023
- Unemployment+2.5 pp11.0% in 2023
- Female unemployment+2.3 pp14.5% in 2023
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
Lebanon and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Lebanon. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Lebanon | Syria | Israel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 1.8m2023 | 6.8m2025 | 4.8m2025 |
| Participation rate | 43.4%2023 | 36.9%2025 | 65.5%2025 |
| Women's participation | 22.2%2023 | 12.7%2025 | 62.3%2025 |
| Employment rate | 38.7%2023 | 31.9%2025 | 63.2%2025 |
| Unemployment | 11.0%2023 | 13.6%2025 | 3.5%2025 |
| Female unemployment | 14.5%2023 | 26.1%2025 | 3.4%2025 |
| Youth unemployment | 22.7%2023 | 33.1%2025 | 6.0%2025 |
| Youth NEET rate | 23.5%2019 | — | 15.3%2024 |
| Wage workers | 71.6%2023 | 57.6%2025 | 88.7%2025 |