The Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Ministry of Labour published a recent study prepared by its Information and Documentation Centre. The study clarified that Libya’s workforce was believed to number approximately 4.7 million, which equates to a labour force participation rate of around 61%. The study showed that around 86% of the workforce belonged to the public sector and that the percentage of job seekers was around 14%.
The study published by the Ministry of Labour also showed that the number of job seekers has reached about 380,000 individuals. The number of those registered in labour offices is about 128,000 individuals.
Last month, the Prime Minister of the GNA, Fayez Al-Sarraj, directed the Minister of Labour, Al-Mahdi Al-Amin, to prepare a comprehensive list of unemployed Libyan graduates. These are to be trained and appointed in the public sector’s companies and institutions. The decision stated that all competent authorities are tasked to implement the training programs as of November 1, 2020. The Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Libya, and all relevant authorities, are committed to providing financial coverage for the implementation of the training programs for the unemployed youth.
On 23 August, hundreds of young Libyans rallied in Tripoli to decry deteriorating living conditions and corruption, amid a heavy security presence. They also demanded the GNA to be replaced. Sources confirmed that widespread arbitrary arrests of protesters took place, during the overnight demonstrations. These demonstrations took place even after Al-Sarraj sought to appease protesters on Monday, by announcing a cabinet reshuffle.