On the one side are Lebanese youths eager to work, on the other are local employers looking for staff. So why are businesses—especially those based outside of Beirut—not recruiting more local youth? This question was the driving force behind Mercy Corps’ Youth-led Market Assessment (YLMA) in 2018. The YLMA explored the reasons why youth were not penetrating the labor market in three areas of the country: Saida, Tripoli, and Barja (Mount Lebanon). It was conducted as part of a three-year Canadian-funded program aimed at protecting youths’ well-being and providing better opportunities, particularly in those three areas. The study interviewed 800 employers and involved 75 local youth volunteers as researchers, as well as Remark, a Beirut-based research consultancy that is studying livelihood opportunities for Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian youth and their families. Three main findings were gleaned from the research. Firstly, the largest barrier to Lebanese youth employment found was a
