Backlash yields tight labor market for Lebanese businesses - ABC News

A colleague drew my attention to the subject of the labor market consequences of the Syrian military withdrawal:

dozens of leaflets warning Syrian workers to leave Lebanon within 10 days were scattered outside a dormitory for Syrian agricultural laborers in south Lebanon. The leaflets warned of 'severe consequences' if the Syrians refuse to leave.

Since the 1950s, Syrians have flocked to this relatively prosperous Mediterranean nation to find employment in cleaning houses and streets, and in construction and agriculture. Although the Lebanese government places restrictions on foreign workers seeking employment in Lebanon, an exception is made for Syrians, who are allowed entry in unlimited numbers. Employers readily recruit Syrians because they earn about half the wages of Lebanese. Still, cash remittances earned by Syrian workers in Lebanon total as high as $4 billion a year.
The exodus of Syrian workers is likely to place further strain on the labor market, hitting Lebanese businesses hard, especially in the booming construction sector.

'I have lost 80 percent of my workforce,' says Karim Bassil, an architect. 'This is a big problem for me because the law prevents other workers coming to Lebanon to replace them.'

Lebanese are increasingly filling the void, but they cost more - up to $19 a day, or around $9 more than Syrians make.

A new government could allow other foreign laborers into the country, like Asians, who thrive in Persian Gulf countries. But the close cultural and economic ties between Lebanon and Syria will probably ensure a steady stream of Syrian workers once the political situation calms down, people here say.

'Despite the political differences, we and the Lebanese are still brothers, and we will always be close,' says Mr. Hajjar.

Interesting. Why is the Lebanese per capita income so much higher? What does Lebanon have that Syria doesn't have? What would happen if North Koreans were allowed to work in South Korea?

This photo (via Tigerhawk) fits, somehow:


(Attractive Package)
Click on photo if your knowledge of Arabic is limited.