Low wages in Syria, particularly in the public sector, have triggered a mass exodus of workers, with the workforce halving since 2011. A report by the Syrian Labour Union revealed that approximately 4,500 government employees officially resigned in the past year alone. Experts suggest the true figure could be much higher if resignations were processed more efficiently, as they are often delayed or ignored in violation of the Unified Workers Law.
In 2011, the public sector employed 3.5 million Syrians, but only 1.8 million remain today, according to Imad al-Din al-Musbah, a former advisor to the Damascus Labour Union. He emphasized that wages cover less than 5% of a family’s basic living costs. With an average monthly salary of 300,000 Syrian pounds (approximately $20), workers struggle to afford essentials such as food, rent, education, and healthcare. Rising costs have left many workers with little choice but to resign, emigrate, or take on additional jobs where possible. With unemployment exceeding 80%, opportunities are scarce.
Labour Market Collapse and Resignation Restrictions
The collapse of Syria’s labour market has had severe repercussions. Al-Musbah warned that the loss of skilled manpower is undermining production capacity, exacerbating poverty, and destabilizing Syrian society. Meanwhile, Omar Mahmoud al-Bushi, a senior member of the Damascus Workers’ Union, criticized the government’s reluctance to process resignations. He noted that verbal orders and circulars blocking resignations have become common, violating workers’ constitutional rights.
Although the government cites “emergency circumstances” to justify these restrictions, the pretext has persisted for over two years. Al-Bushi revealed that 10% of public-sector employees resigned in 2023 alone, highlighting the worsening economic conditions and the government’s failure to implement constitutionally mandated fair wage formulas.
Politically Motivated Dismissals and Workforce Depletion
This wave of resignations follows years of politically motivated dismissals during the Syrian revolution. The Assad government invoked Article 137 of the Basic Law for Scientists in the State to terminate tens of thousands of workers from regions associated with opposition support. This purge decimated the public sector’s experienced workforce, creating disguised unemployment and a significant decline in production capacity and exports.
In response to the shrinking workforce, the government introduced a 2022 decree banning resignations and imposing heavy penalties, including fines and imprisonment, on employees who fail to report for work. Despite these measures, low wages and worsening conditions have made retaining skilled labor increasingly challenging.
Samir Rumman, former director general of the Syrian Textile Corporation, stressed the urgent need for wage reform. “The state must preserve skilled labor by raising wages to match the cost of living. Losing decades of trained manpower cannot be easily reversed, even if the government is transitioning toward privatizing the public sector.”
Humanitarian and Economic Consequences
The United Nations has labelled Syria the world’s largest refugee crisis, with 13.8 million displaced persons as of 2023. While war remains the primary driver of displacement, plummeting wages and skyrocketing living costs are now among the leading causes, especially as active fighting has decreased in intensity.
According to the Qasioun Centre in Damascus, the average monthly wage in Syria is just 287,000 pounds, while the cost of living for a family of five exceeds 12.5 million pounds. This staggering disparity forces workers to seek opportunities abroad, further depleting the country’s workforce and compounding its economic and social challenges.
The continued exodus of skilled labor not only undermines Syria’s economic recovery but also leaves its public and private sectors ill-equipped to address the mounting crises of poverty, unemployment, and production shortages.
