Idlib – Samah Alloush
Since graduating from the Technical Institute of Computer Science, Yaman has not had a job opportunity in Idlib that provides her with a financial income ensuring a dignified living amid the difficult economic challenges faced by most Syrians and the instability that the country has witnessed following the administrative and financial chaos and corruption left by the previous regime.
Yaman often feels depressed and reluctant to go out and engage with society, avoiding people’s awkward questions and their sometimes hurtful comments about her staying at home and not finding a job, as she expressed, despite her repeated attempts to follow up on any job postings that match her qualifications and experience.
In Syria, searching for job opportunities has become a tiresome task for skilled professionals and graduates, amid the desire of many displaced university graduates to return to their cities and hometowns, but finding a stable source of income remains the biggest obstacle.
The young Yaman continues to search for work in the hope of finding it, a situation shared by millions in Syria and tens of thousands in Idlib, as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) stated that nine out of ten people in Syria live in poverty, and one in four people is unemployed.
Scarcity of job opportunities
Ruba, a young woman who graduated from the Faculty of Education in 2024, began her journey in search of a teaching position in Idlib, but her hopes diminish with each job interview at private schools, as she has failed to secure a vacancy in public schools, according to her, which require applicants to have at least three years of experience.
Ruba told Enab Baladi that teaching experience will develop and shape through experiences and opportunities that allow a teacher to refine her tools and style. However, the high percentage of newly graduated students from northern Syrian universities and the presence of many experienced educators, including teachers who were dismissed since the regime’s time, are the main reasons for the scarcity of job opportunities in education.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Ruba decided to publish advertisements through social media groups and open educational courses for students from her home, at a low fee of eight US dollars (80,000 Syrian pounds) per student per month, until she finds a better opportunity.
As for Ghina, she reluctantly accepted a position as a kindergarten teacher, for a meager salary that does not exceed 60 US dollars a month, after failing to find a job that aligns with her university degree in Arabic language.
According to her, a small income is better than sitting idle waiting for someone’s help, as she lives with her mother and sisters, receiving assistance from her brothers in paying rent and living expenses.
Work cessation in organizations
Ahmad, a mechanical engineer, worked in various humanitarian organizations with contracts that get renewed every six months. However, since the beginning of this year, most organizations have turned their attention to establishing projects in other provinces, in addition to the complete cessation of some organizations, which resulted in losing his job.
Humanitarian organizations working in northern Syria played a vital role in providing job opportunities for all segments of society, including employees, laborers, drivers, and guards. However, after their contracts ceased, many have become unable to find work with wages that correspond to the rising cost of living and inflation.
The Turkish lira circulating in Idlib and its countryside continues to decline, reaching about 40 liras for one US dollar, causing successive price increases and forcing many families to look for additional work alongside their primary job.
Young Syrian men and women, especially recent graduates, hope that the new government will take effective steps to find suitable job opportunities for them through investment projects and Arab and international partnerships, which were previously exclusive to a certain loyal group to the ousted Assad regime, especially with the return of the oil and gas sector to operation, which the public sees as slow and not meeting their aspirations.
Despite more than three months passing since the regime’s fall, the current government has not announced any available vacancies in its departments and institutions, except for some administrative appointments for certain positions to manage its affairs temporarily.
Lack of jobs as an obstacle to refugee return
Securing a permanent source of income is the foremost concern for all Syrian refugees wishing to return voluntarily to Syria, especially those residing in Turkey.
Yaser, a graduate of the Faculty of Information Technology, works in a lumber factory in one of the Turkish states, earning about 25,000 Turkish liras a month (approximately 650 US dollars). However, the high cost of living, rent, and physically demanding work has led him to contemplate returning and settling in Syria.
Yaser found himself in a cycle of calculations and continuous searching on social media for job opportunities, asking residents in northern Syria about the reality of living costs and wages, receiving discouraging responses, some advising him to wait a while until things become clearer, and there is a glimmer of hope and a better future than his current situation.
The fall of the Syrian regime has ignited the desire among Syrians to return to their country, whether for a visit or to settle down, despite the deteriorating economic and living conditions and United Nations warnings that a wide return of Syrian refugees could exacerbate conflict in Syria and place a heavy burden on the country.
The years of war in Syria have impacted most sectors and led to an estimated loss in gross domestic product of about 800 billion US dollars over 14 years, according to the UNDP.
The poverty rate has tripled, from 33% before 2011 to 90% today, and extreme poverty has increased sixfold, from 11% to 66%.
Idlib graduates voice concerns over limited job opportunities Enab Baladi.
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