Wednesday 14 April 2021
Last update on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 At 6:38 PM
The economic crisis in Lebanon pushes a part of the elite workforce to move abroad, including doctors, engineers and professors. Figures show the wave of emigration in the country started amplifying at the start of the economic crisis, nearly two years ago.
The number of Lebanese leaving the country nearly tripled from 2018 (4.49) to 2019 (12.52), and quadrupled in 2020 (16.54). The consequences of one of the worst economic crisis Lebanon has faced not only include financial and economic indicators to drop drastically, but will also deprive Lebanon of some of its elite workforce long term.
The depreciation of the Lebanese currency is causing the value of wages to drop, affecting especially the medical field, already struggling to face the pandemic. Hence, a lot of the country’s working force is leaving the country.
The extent of the brain drain phenomenon caused by the economic crisis in Lebanon
This emigration wave affects important sectors such as engineering, medicine, universities. According to a study compiling data for each sector, conducted by Al-Modon, between five and six engineers ask for professional authorizations to go work abroad.
Lebanese universities will also likely be observing this brain drain phenomenon in the months to come, as more and more professors are leaving the country.
As for the medical sector, since the start of the economic crisis, over 500 doctors and 500 members of medical staff left Lebanon. In total, the country’s medical field includes about 16 800 nurses and 15 000 doctors. The figures keep increasing as the state of the economy worsens.
Source : Courrier International
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