Still Unemployed in Tunisia

Thomas Fuller has a nice article in the Times reviewing the situation in Tunisia a month after their dictator fled into exile:

In cafes and on street corners, Tunisians say they are proud that their uprising against decades of authoritarian rule inspired protests in Egypt and elsewhere across the Arab world. But many also say they are realizing that bringing down the dictator may have been the easy part.

With restrictions on the media lifted and freedom of speech flourishing, years of bottled-up demands over salaries, working conditions and other rights have erupted. . . .

“The unemployed gained nothing from the revolution,” said Hamdi Tarek, a 29-year-old from Tunis who works odd jobs hawking vegetables and clothing on the street. “We’re still waiting. We are waiting for work.”