Lebanese Higher Education and the Labor Market: A Marriage or a Divorce?

Lebanon suffers from political stagnation, social discontent, and economic collapse.Mismatch between educational choices and labor market needs persists, causing brain drain and high unemployment among university graduates.With a service-oriented market, primarily small and medium enterprises with low job creation prospects, and employer dissatisfaction with university graduates' skills, the situation for graduates is difficult.This article aims to assess the link between higher education and the labor market amid political and economic instability.he human capital theory defines the intersection between higher education and the labor market by assuming better employment opportunities and higher salaries for graduates.The theory, developed and tested in advanced economies, stresses government policies for enhanced economic performance and decreased unemployment.In small-size economies that lack efficient government policies but have a higher education system as big as in developed economies, human capital theory assumptions are questionable.Increased demand in developing economies coupled with government financial incapacities has led to higher education massification.Inequalities continue to exist with education liability transferred to studentsthose from lower social classes with fewer opportunities choose lower-quality higher education institutions (HEIs), thus putting their employment prospects at risk.Empirical evidence proves employers' dissatisfaction with graduates' skills, particularly for those from less prestigious HEIs.The period and pace of integration into the labor market does not only depend on education but also on HEI reputation, field of study, social capital, gender, parents' social status, etc.