The Interplay Between Gender, Employment Attrition During COVID, and Food Insecurity: A National Telephone Survey in Lebanon

Objectives: This study aims to examine gender differences in employment attrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore whether the association between employment attrition and food insecurity (FI) varies by gender in Lebanon - a context where recent political and economic crises have heightened existing disparities and exacerbated unemployment and food insecurity. Methods: A national cross-sectional study conducted in January 2024, recruited adults aged 19-64 years old residing in Lebanon (n=939) using random digit dialing (RDD). A telephone survey included modules on socio-demographics, employment history and FI (using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale categorized into 2 groups: food secure (score 0-3), and food insecure (score 4-8)). Logistic regression models adjusted for confounders, assessed the association between gender and employment attrition during COVID, and between employment attrition and FI stratified by gender. Results: Labor force participation (ever worked) was low (66.3%) among women compared to men (95.8%). During COVID and the concurrent Lebanese economic crisis, women were twice as likely as men to lose their jobs (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.01; 95%CI: 1.27-3.19). Employment attrition during COVID was associated with food insecurity in men (AOR: 2.26; 95%CI:1.09-4.67) but not in women (AOR:1.38; 95%CI:0.57-3.30). Conclusions: In a context where large gender differentials exist in labor force participation, COVID and related economic crises led more women to leave the labor force than men, further widening the employment gender gap. However, job loss during COVID was associated with higher odds of FI in men but not women, potentially underscoring persistent inequalities in family roles with women being less likely to be "breadwinners" that men in this context. Funding Sources: International Development Research Centre (IDRC).