The official Spokesman for the Libyan Ministry of Labour and Rehabilitation, Abdul-Qadir Abu Shannaf said that the number of job seekers in Libya has reached 250,000, according to the latest statistics.
Abu Shannaf explained in statements to the New Arab newspaper that the number of job seekers has decreased compared to previous years, from 340,000 to 250,000 people.
He stated that the statistics need to be reviewed and audited, noting that there is no accurate percentage in Libya.
On the contrary, Libyan economic researcher, Ali Saleh told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that there has been a rise in the unemployment rate and that it was increasing every year. “The public sector suffers from random appointments and job overcrowding, while the employees in the private sector lose their rights,” he said.
He estimated that the unemployment rate in the Libyan labour market is about 19%, but local institutions believe that it exceeds 30%.
Saleh explained that the number of job seekers did not exceed 128,000 in 2020, and the number doubled to 250,000 in 2022.
The population of Libya in 2020 was about 7.4 million, with 2.4 million government employees, equivalent to 32% of the total population.
The number of graduates per year is 100,000, and the poverty rate has reached 42%, according to data from the Ministry of Social Affairs.
In January, the Libyan Minister of Labour and Rehabilitation, Ali Al-Abed stated that the Libyan government plans to integrate youths currently belonging to militias, into the military and police. In a step to unify Libyan institutions, and rehabilitate youth involved in the civil war.
Al-Abed said that young men whose health status does not enable them to join the security institutions will be reintegrated into society and be provided with an appropriate job in a state institution.
“There is more than one way to integrate them into institutions, or even to provide small and medium enterprises through the Libyan Financial Facilities Fund and the Human Resources Fund at the ministry,” Al-Abed explained.
He added that the young men will be trained for the labour market, and will receive a suitable job.
The Minister noted that the integration of these youths depends on the stability of the government and relative stability in the country. As well as a comprehensive national reconciliation process.
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