Palestinian Youth in the West Bank and the Labor Market After October 7 by A. Abdullah Wrideat

Palestinian Youth in the West Bank and the Labor Market After October 7 Challenges of Reality and Pathways to Future Making By: A. Abdullah Wrideat Introduction The Palestinian youth in the West Bank represent one of the most important human resources capable of contributing to building society and enhancing its resilience and development. However, this group has faced accumulated challenges in education, employment, and economic empowerment for years, which have clearly intensified after October 7, amidst the political, economic, and security transformations that have directly impacted the Palestinian labor market. The challenge facing youth is no longer just about obtaining a job; it has become linked to job continuity, securing a stable income, and the ability to build a viable economic and social future. Additionally, the restrictions on movement, the decline in economic activity, the closure or stagnation of many establishments, and the reduction of job opportunities within the Green Line are all factors that have reshaped the relationship between youth and the labor market. Thus, the discussion about Palestinian youth after October 7 should not be limited to unemployment figures or poverty rates, but should move towards a deeper question: How can we transform youth from the group most affected by the economic crisis into the group most capable of creating solutions? First: The Palestinian Labor Market Facing a New Reality Before October 7, the labor market in the West Bank was already suffering from structural imbalances, most notably high unemployment rates among youth and graduates, and insufficient alignment between educational outputs and labor market needs, in addition to the limited capacity of the Palestinian economy to create new jobs at the pace required by population growth. However, the events following October 7 have created a more complex reality; various economic sectors have been affected, and many institutions and establishments have seen their ability to operate normally decline, while job opportunities for some Palestinian workers in the Israeli labor market have diminished. This transformation has effects that extend beyond the individual worker; when a young person loses their source of income, the impact extends to their family, consumption, ability to pursue education, marry, and achieve economic independence, and it may even affect their decision to stay in the community or seek opportunities abroad. Second: Youth and Graduates Between Certification and Opportunity One of the most prominent issues faced by Palestinian youth is the gap between academic qualifications and the skills required in the labor market. Obtaining a university degree is no longer a guarantee of securing a job, while institutions are increasingly seeking practical and digital skills, as well as capabilities in communication, management, analysis, problem-solving, and teamwork. Here, the need arises to reconsider the concept of qualification for youth. What is required is not just an increase in the number of graduates, but the preparation of youth capable of competing in a changing labor market. It is important for universities and educational and training institutions to become true partners in addressing unemployment by developing academic programs, enhancing practical training, linking specializations to market needs, and expanding technical, vocational, and digital skills education. Third: Remote Work and the Digital Economy as a Palestinian Opportunity Despite the difficult economic reality, digital transformation can represent one of the significant opportunities for Palestinian youth. Technology has enabled the emergence of new work patterns that do not rely entirely on geographic location, such as programming, design, digital marketing, translation, content creation, data analysis, and professional and consulting services. This means that part of the solution may lie in shifting from a job-seeking model to a job-creating model. However, this requires real investment in digital infrastructure, training, English language skills, technical skills, and facilitating access to global work platforms, in addition to building a legal and institutional environment that protects workers in the digital economy and regulates their rights. Fourth: Movement Restrictions and Their Impact on Youth Opportunities Freedom of movement and access to workplaces and markets are fundamental factors in any economy. In the Palestinian case, movement and access restrictions pose a direct challenge to youth, workers, and entrepreneurs. A young person living in a specific area may find a suitable job opportunity in another area but may face difficulties in accessing it daily. Similarly, a small business owner may struggle to transport products or reach suppliers and markets. Therefore, addressing the youth and labor market crisis cannot be the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Labor; it requires a comprehensive economic and developmental vision that addresses the environment in which youth operate, including movement, investment, financing, education, and technology. Fifth: Small Projects and Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship can be part of the solution, but it is not a magic fix. The call for every young person to become a project owner must be accompanied by a real environment that supports project success, including financing, training, consulting, incubators, access to markets, reducing bureaucratic procedures, and protecting startups from economic shocks. Moreover, there should be a shift from viewing small projects merely as a temporary means to combat unemployment to considering them as part of a national strategy for production and employment. Palestinian youth, especially in technical, agricultural, service, and creative fields, can present new project models that respond to community needs and create additional job opportunities. Sixth: From Job Waiting to Decision Making Perhaps the greatest challenge facing Palestinian youth today is the transition from being recipients of policies to being partners in formulating them. Youth are the most knowledgeable about the challenges they face, and they are the most capable of providing realistic solutions if given the institutional space to participate. Thus, the importance of youth initiatives and representative institutions, foremost among them the Palestinian Smart Youth Parliament, emerges as a space through which youth issues can be transferred from the realm of public discussion to the realm of policy-making, proposals, and solutions. True youth participation does not merely mean organizing conferences and events; it means involving youth in preparing plans, evaluating policies, discussing budgets and programs, and proposing legislation and economic and social policies related to their future. Seventh: Towards a National Strategy for Youth Employment Addressing the challenges of the labor market after October 7 requires, in our view, a comprehensive national strategy based on seven key axes: 1. Linking education and training to the actual needs of the labor market. 2. Expanding vocational, technical, and digital training programs. 3. Supporting emerging youth projects through financing, guidance, and access to markets. 4. Investing in the digital economy and remote work as growth paths despite geographic restrictions. 5. Developing a genuine partnership between the government, private sector, universities, and youth institutions. 6. Establishing accurate and updated databases on youth seeking employment, their skills, and specializations, to better direct employment programs. 7. Involving youth in formulating the economic and social policies that directly affect their future. Youth are not the problem of the labor market... but part of the solution. In conclusion, I say that the crisis experienced by Palestinian youth in the West Bank after October 7 is not just a crisis of jobs, but a crisis of opportunities, horizons, and future. However, treating youth as victims of the crisis will not lead to real change. What is needed is to view them as a national human capital that possesses knowledge, energy, and the ability to innovate and create solutions. Palestine does not need a generation that waits for opportunities to be granted to them, but rather a generation that possesses the tools to create opportunities. Thus, the responsibility of this phase does not rest solely on youth, but also on official, educational, economic, and community institutions, and on everyone who believes that investing in people is the most important investment in the future of Palestine. Building a more just, flexible, and resilient labor market begins with recognizing that youth are not marginal in the national equation, but are at its core. In the post-October 7 phase, perhaps the question is no longer: What will we provide for youth? But the more important question has become: How do we provide youth with the tools, space, and trust to be true partners in shaping the future of Palestine? Message to the Palestinian Smart Youth Parliament The mission of the Palestinian Smart Youth Parliament should not stop at representing youth, but should evolve towards producing youth knowledge, monitoring challenges, proposing policies, and transforming the voice of youth into actionable recommendations. The youth facing labor market challenges today are the same ones capable of designing the labor market we need tomorrow. A. Abdullah Wrideat