Erosion of the Economy and the Middle Class Since 1987, when Ben Ali assumed the presidency, a much-needed economic boom has occurred thanks to sustained growth of over 5% which improved living standards and increased job opportunities. Economic stability has also improved healthcare and the education system (El-Khawas, 2012). The economic policies introduced by Ben Ali were not positive, so even when economic growth and liberalization took place in Tunisia, they did not lead to the creation of jobs for educated youth. Job opportunities and exports have developed mainly for low-skilled activities. The introduction of foreign direct investment in recent years also did not improve the labor market as the incentive for foreign direct investment was privatization rather than new investment avenues. Market sector reforms that attempt to support the private sector have not led to an increase in private sector investment in Tunisia (Paciello, 2011). Tunisia began experiencing an economic depression in 2008, exacerbated by the financial crisis in Europe that same year. According to a World Bank report, average economic growth in Tunisia fell from 6.3% in 2007 to 4.5% thereafter and further to 3.3% in 2009 (World Bank, 2010). Exports declined along with the industrial and service sectors. On top of this, WikiLeaks cables have highlighted the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by the ruling family, pointing to corruption and nepotism within the government. In one of the cables, Robert Godec, the American ambassador stated that "the opulence with which El Materi and [his wife] live and their behavior make clear why they and other members of Ben Ali's family are disliked and even hated by some Tunisians." The excesses of the Ben Ali family are growing' (Black, 2010). The middle class has been severely affected...... middle of paper...... African Development Bank Group (AfDB).Paciello, MC ( 2011). Tunisia: changes and challenges of the political transition. Brussels: MEDPRO.Roko, JR (2012). Controversial politics in the Maghreb: a comparative study of mobilization in Tunisia and Morocco. Lambert Academic Publishing.World Bank. (2010). Global Economic Outlook 2010. Washington DC: World Bank. Zemni, S. (2013). Chapter 5: The socio-economic protest against the national uprising: the working origins of the Tunisian revolution. In N. Gana (ed.), The Making of the Tunisian Revolution (pp. 127-146). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Mahjoub, A. (2010), “Labour Markets Performance and Migration Flows in Tunisia”, in European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, Labor Markets Performance and Migration, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, Occasional Papers 60, Vol.2, Brussels, Belgium.