The Syrian Future Movement follows with interest and appreciation the announcement by the Planning and Statistics Authority\u2014made on Thursday, October 22, 2026\u2014regarding the launch of a labor force survey across various Syrian governorates. The survey, which will span 45 days, is being conducted in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and funded by the European Union. Its objectives include determining the size of the labor force, analyzing its demographic and economic distribution, identifying the factors contributing to unemployment, and forecasting the future needs of the labor market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement views this initiative as an essential scientific foundation for any serious economic or social policy. This comes after years characterized by a lack of accurate data and a reliance on conflicting estimates\u2014most notably regarding unemployment, with figures ranging from 25% to 60%. Such a wide discrepancy reflects both a significant data gap and a genuine crisis within the labor market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement commends the Authority\u2019s adoption of international technical standards (ICLS-21) to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data. These standards also allow for the comparison of the resulting indicators with those of other nations, lending scientific credibility to the survey\u2019s findings and shifting them from the realm of political estimation to that of verifiable data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the Syrian Future Movement appreciates the Authority\u2019s commitment to data confidentiality, its assurance that information is collected solely for statistical purposes, and the fact that field teams carry official identification\u2014all of which help foster the trust necessary for households to cooperate with the researchers. The Syrian Future Movement notes that this survey follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the relevant authority and the International Labour Organization on April 27, 2026. This took place within the framework of a national workshop\u2014organized by the Syria Trust for Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor\u2014aimed at designing a national public works program for Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement believes that linking the survey to a public works program is the correct approach; data holds no value unless it is translated into operational programs that can absorb the unemployed and direct human capital toward sectors with the greatest need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement reaffirms its consistent positions\u2014as published on its official website\u2014which have long emphasized the necessity of addressing unemployment as a top national priority:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement titled “International Workers’ Day,” issued on May 1, 2026, the Syrian Future Movement stressed that “tackling the issue of unemployment is a top priority for ensuring a dignified and sustainable return for refugees.” The movement pointed out that, since the beginning of 2024, more than 1.3 million internally displaced persons and approximately 730,000 individuals returning from abroad have arrived\u2014a situation that necessitates the creation of genuine job opportunities to harness this potential. Furthermore, it noted that approximately 2.7 million young Syrians require training and qualification to enhance their competitiveness in the labor market. In a statement titled “Developing a National Strategy to Combat Poverty,” issued on January 28, 2026, the Syrian Future Movement emphasized that addressing the crisis of unemployment and poverty requires “a precise, transparent, and scientific diagnosis of the root causes\u2014accompanied by the publication of full data and reports for public discussion”\u2014as well as the “establishment of quantifiable, measurable, and accountable objectives.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement views a labor force survey as the essential first step in this scientific diagnosis; however, it remains incomplete unless the full results are published and used as a foundation for policies with clear, time-bound implementation schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, the Syrian Future Movement argues that the success of such a survey hinges on its capacity to drive policy changes based on its findings. The movement notes that the Syrian labor market suffers not merely from unemployment, but from deeper structural imbalances\u2014including the prevalence of informal employment, low female labor force participation, and the limited capacity of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to expand and generate job opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement raises a critical question: will the survey include detailed data on these specific segments, or will it be limited to conventional unemployment indicators?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The movement further cautions that data alone cannot create jobs. There is a genuine risk that the survey could end up as nothing more than an academic document relegated to a desk drawer, rather than serving as the basis for urgent employment initiatives\u2014a concern that is particularly pressing given the ongoing influx of returnees, soaring poverty rates, and the fact that three out of every four Syrians currently rely on humanitarian aid. The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that the priority must be to translate the survey results into a national employment plan. This plan should identify promising sectors (such as agriculture, energy, reconstruction, and technology), pinpoint skills gaps, and launch vocational training programs in partnership with the private sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acting upon its national responsibility, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First: Publish the complete survey results transparently upon their conclusion, including detailed data broken down by governorate, sector, age group, and gender. This information should be made accessible to researchers, journalists, and civil society organizations, ensuring it serves as a foundation for public discourse rather than remaining the exclusive domain of a single entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second: Link the survey results to an urgent national employment plan that identifies sectors with the greatest capacity to absorb the unemployed. This plan should include the launch of short-term vocational training programs and the provision of incentives for the private sector to hire youth, women, and returnees\u2014consistent with the recommendations previously put forward by the Movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third: Enhance transparency regarding the expenditure of European funding allocated for the survey. Periodic financial reports detailing how funds are spent should be published to ensure that resources are directed toward data collection and analysis, rather than unnecessary administrative costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth: Engage civil society organizations and the private sector in analyzing the results through national workshops held after the data is published. These workshops should provide on-the-ground insights that complement the statistical picture, ensuring that proposed policies are both actionable and tailored to the specific realities of each governorate. Fifth: Launching a supplementary survey covering irregular labor and the informal sector\u2014groups that may not be captured by official surveys, despite constituting a significant portion of the Syrian labor market, and which therefore require additional research tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the launch of the labor force survey, viewing it as a necessary step toward employment policies based on scientific evidence rather than mere estimates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that data is not an end in itself, but rather a means; its true value True change is realized when it translates into decisions that mobilize people, improve their lives, and restore confidence that the state understands the scale of the problem and is actively working toward a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the Syria its youth deserve is one where policies are built on data rather than slogans, and where decisions are made based on evidence rather than improvisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will continue to support all efforts that promote transparency and development, while remaining critical of any shortcomings and monitoring progress on the ground\u2014all in pursuit of a new Syria where every young person finds a decent job opportunity, and every family secures a stable livelihood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Launch of the labor force survey in Syria and its impact on understanding unemployment and identifying market needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":68068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4841],"tags":[4706],"class_list":["post-68070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-popular-base-office","tag-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n