Gaza's Devastating Jobs Crisis: 80% Unemployment Leaves Residents Struggling for Basic Survival

The Struggle for Work in a Shattered Economy

Every morning, Mansour Mohammad Bakr walks past the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza City, where he once earned his living as a fisher. Before the two-year war that devastated Gaza, Bakr shared a boat with his father and brothers. Now, his brothers are dead, his father is too old, and his equipment was destroyed. Like hundreds of thousands across Gaza, Bakr desperately needs a job.

"Money is the main means of survival in Gaza … without it, a person cannot do anything," he says. "The limited aid that reaches us doesn't replace our need for money in any way and doesn't cover even the most basic living requirements."

Aid Falls Short as Prices Soar

Humanitarian organizations have ramped up distribution since a ceasefire agreement in October, but assistance remains vastly insufficient. In January, UN agencies reached approximately 1.6 million people with food assistance, and World Central Kitchen serves 1 million hot meals daily. However, this covers only basic necessities.

Aid workers report that more fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, clothes, and household items are now available, but at exorbitant prices. "There has been a huge increase in commercial supplies … but it is all very expensive," says Kate Charlton, a Médecins Sans Frontières medical coordinator in Gaza City.

Mohammed al-Far, a 55-year-old former trader living in a tent encampment, explains: "We receive only one meal a day from aid organizations. Life requires cash to go on. We can get enough to eat … but transportation, haircuts, charging mobile phones, and buying vegetables and fruit all require money."

An Economy in Collapse

The problem for al-Far, Bakr, and all job seekers in Gaza is that there is virtually no work available. The official unemployment rate is estimated at 80%, and the economy has shrunk to just 13% of its former size.

In November, Pedro Manuel Moreno, deputy secretary general of the UN's trade and development agency, stated that the war had "wiped out decades of progress." He added, "Gaza is going through the fastest and most damaging economic collapse ever recorded."

UN data shows that in 2024, GDP per capita in Gaza fell to just $161 per year – among the lowest in the world. The Israeli offensive shattered sanitation, transport, power, and health systems, ruined fields and greenhouses, and decimated Gaza's fishing industry, which once employed thousands.

Bakr dreams of returning to fishing: "I dream of returning to the sea and to the profession of fishing, and of being able one day to buy a fishing boat like the one I used to own, so I can provide my family with food, drink, clothing, and medicine."

Reconstruction Stalls Amid Political Deadlock

The October ceasefire agreement was supposed to lead swiftly to reconstruction, but progress has largely stalled. Some elements have advanced, including the return of hostages and limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing. Plans for an international stabilization force are emerging, with Indonesia preparing troops for humanitarian and reconstruction roles.

However, Hamas, which controls most of the coastal area, is reluctant to fully disarm, and Israel appears unwilling to relinquish control over more than half of the territory. Israel has blocked the new technocratic administration from entering, and key crossing points remain shut or restricted.

Even if Bakr could find a new boat, limits imposed by Israel at sea would prevent him from fishing. "My work as a fisher in the sea of Gaza was passed down to us from our grandfathers. I have been searching for work … everywhere I can," he says.

The Human Cost of Unemployment

Even those with advanced qualifications struggle. Bisan Mohammad, 23, graduated with a degree in medical laboratory sciences just months before the war. Her husband was killed early in the conflict, leaving her alone to provide for their daughter. She now lives in a tent with her parents in Nuseirat.

"I began looking for any available job but without success … everything needs money; even water, food, and bedding all require cash. Sometimes I feel that even breathing needs money," Mohammad says.

Violence has continued since the ceasefire, with Israel launching more attacks in January than in any month since October. Gaza health authorities report 586 Palestinians killed since the truce, bringing the overall death toll to over 72,000, mostly civilians.

"What is being called a 'ceasefire' hasn't changed our reality; in fact, it has made it worse," Mohammad explains. "The media has stopped talking about the ongoing killing … while the bombardment continues … prices keep rising, and even basic necessities, when available, are barely sufficient."

She adds, "I don't think about the future … thinking about it is exhausting and frightening, and the future is unclear. I don't know what will happen to me or my daughter if this situation continues without work or income."