Measuring the impact of employment services centres in Lebanon

This project will enhance the capacity of employment services centres (ESC) in Palestinian camps in Lebanon to provide employment counseling and job matching services for male and female Palestinian refugees. Using a randomized controlled trial approach, it will provide a better understanding of the impact of ESCs on employability, employment quality, and perceived employment satisfaction of these job seekers. The study aims to provide practical and policy-relevant results in Lebanon as well as other countries in the region. It will also enhance the capacity of researchers and institutions to generate and analyze reliable and relevant information.

The project will analyze whether ESCs improve or adversely impact several factors, including length of employment service, number of job interviews, rejections, employment offers, and terms of employment (such as the presence of a contract, work hours, working conditions, and benefits), among others, and compare them with job seekers who did not receive assistance from ESCs. It will also determine whether the degree of skills and qualification match/mismatch for the employed is dependent on having access to ESC services. Finally, it will review and recommend policy measures for the ESCs, other support institutions, and the private sector, which may help Palestinian refugee youth obtain decent employment.

This project is a partnership of the American University of Sharjah (AUS), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).