New professions
for locals only

To limit competition

The Ministry of Labor has issued a decision that limits some professions to Lebanese only.

The ministry said that this decision comes at a time when local employment witnesses fierce competition from non-nationals. Competition is no longer limited by the workforce but includes employers and companies that are opening illegally.

The professions that are restricted to Lebanese are: chief, dean, general manager, deputy general manager, human resource manager, treasurer, accountant, secretary, copyrighter, document keeper, computer, commercial agent, marketing agent, and in all administrative, insurance, education, and banking jobs.

Lebanese only professions also include warehouse officer, sales person, jeweler, tailor, mechanical and maintenance officer, painter, glass installer, janitor, guard, driver, waiter, hairdresser, electronic worker, oriental chef, artistic works in construction sector such as tiling, gypsum installation specialist, aluminum, metal and wood installation specialist.

Restrictions also include teaching of elementary, intermediate, and secondary classes (except for teaching foreign languages), all engineering specializations, nursing, blacksmith and furniture repair specialists, all pharmacy jobs and pharmaceutical and laboratories. It also includes survey works, aesthetic, and all educational works.

Professions that are restricted by employers are all commercial works, as well as exchange, accounting, brokerage, insurance, engineering works, printing, publishing and distributing works, tailor, hairdresser, car mechanics, as well as engineers, doctors, pharmacists, and lawyers.

Palestinians born in Lebanon and registered officially in the Ministry of Interior are excluded from this decision, except for the liberal professions. Syrians working in agriculture, construction and hygiene are not included in this decision.

The Minister of Labor can exclude some foreign workers from this decision under some conditions: an expert who cannot achieve his work by employing a Lebanese, if the employee is a manager of a foreign company registered in Lebanon, and if he/she is a local resident since birth.