Palestinian refugees in Lebanon face staggering unemployment rates—far exceeding those of Lebanese citizens and global averages. Even when employment is secured, it is often under exploitative conditions marked by low wages, informal arrangements, and physically demanding labor.

Despite their decades-old presence in Lebanon, Lebanese law designates Palestinian refugees as foreigners and requires them to obtain work permits. This forces the Palestinian worker into a vicious cycle between the Ministry of Labor and the employer, exposing them to employer blackmail and exploitation. In addition, Lebanese law prohibits Palestinians from practicing many professions, such as medicine, law, and engineering, effectively limiting them to manual jobs. There are several official justifications for these laws, but a more well-intentioned excuse is that extending these basic rights to refugees would constitute an implicit and unacceptable form of their permanent settlement in Lebanon, thus jeopardizing their right of return.

In reality, these laws facilitate capital's exploitation of informal and cheap labor, especially that of surplus refugee populations. By preventing Palestinians from joining trade unions, they are denied representation, collective bargaining for better conditions and state protections. Outside the economic realm, this policy is further reinforced by a persistent desire to preserve the existing delicate political and sectarian balance within Lebanon by preventing the Palestinians from establishing a more permanent and integrated presence. Additionally, the denial of fundamental rights to Palestinians aligns with the security-focused approach adopted by the Lebanese state in its interactions with this community, as it simplifies the management of a population lacking established social entitlements.

The infographics below show the most recent figures on Palestinian employment in Lebanon by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), published in their report titled "Socio Economic Survey of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon 2023."

Unemployment among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

Exceptionally high unemployment compared to global norms

The unemployment rate among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is more than 6 times the global average and 3 times the average in Lebanon. It even exceeds the unemployment rates in all countries of the world except for Eswatini and South Africa (34.4% and 33.2% respectively in 2024).

Despite higher levels of literacy and education than their male counterparts, Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon face severe marginalization in the labor market. This exclusion is largely due to the fact that Palestinians are almost exclusively employed in physically demanding jobs, which are often considered inappropriate for women by social norms.

Three layers of discrimination

Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS) have been in the country since 2011. According to UNRWA, they constitute 14.8 percent (2017) of the total number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Since September 2016, the PRS have been subject to a total ban on entering Lebanese territory. This segment of Palestinian re

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