“I started working at a delivery company during my third and final year at university to cover the remaining part of my tuition. When I graduated with a degree in information technology about three years ago, I did not leave this job until I could secure a position in my field. Until now, I have not found an opportunity that matches my current salary, which ranges between 1000 and 1200 dollars.” This is how Khaled Kazmi, in his twenties, describes his journey as a delivery driver in Beirut.

Today, this profession has become a real option for young Lebanese people to secure the basics of living. Jobs like this, as well as roles in security or even working at gas stations, were once not socially accepted among Lebanese.

But with the accumulation of crises and hardships in the country, and the limited opportunities in the job market, everything has become acceptable. The focus has shifted from building a future to securing the present.

Toters, one of the leading delivery companies in Lebanon, has announced on several occasions that it employs around 10,000 drivers, more than 80 percent of whom are Lebanese. The experience of Rabih Achkar, in his thirties, differs from that of recent university graduates or younger people who were unable to attend university in the first place.

He says, “I used to work in a restaurant hall, but after my neighbor told me about his job at a delivery company, I decided to try it. I realized that for the same salary, I can control my time and get rid of the stress of managers.”

This behavior among young people has a scientific explanation that intersects sociology and psychology. Hadi Fakih, a lecturer at Saint Joseph University and a licensed occupational therapist and psychologist, told Annahar that young people today do not fully choose to work in these professions.

“These jobs are imposed on them within a harsh economic and social context. We are talking about a country that has experienced a severe economic crisis, a currency collapse, and ongoing exposure to war and trauma. This creates what is known as economic anxiety, a constant feeling of financial insecurity, fear of losing income, and an inability to plan for the future.”

Fakih adds, “From the perspective of occupational justice, individuals in Lebanon are living in a daily survival mode. Their priority is to secure their daily livelihood, not to think about what they will become in five years. As a result, career choices are based on securing work and income that do not require qualifications, experience, or even passion.”