As of 2023, the labor force in Egypt consisted of nearly 33.4 million people, which was higher than the previous year. In general, the number of currently employed or unemployed people seeking work increased, reaching its peak in 2023. Between 2016 and 2019, it followed an overall slight declining trend. Furthermore, the most significant proportion in 2022 had completed a technical or general secondary education degree.
A huge gender gap in labor participation.
The Egyptian labor market faced several obstacles, one of which is gender disparity. For instance, only 16.5 percent of Egyptian women were economically active. In contrast, this figure was much higher for men between 15 years and older at nearly 71.3 percent. In addition, the unemployment rate was higher for women reaching 17.3 percent as of the second quarter of 2023. Alternatively, the male unemployment rate was significantly lower at close to five percent.
An informal market that absorbs the majority of employment.
The country has a large informal market. In particular, almost two-thirds of the employment occurred in the shadow market in 2019, putting burden on the Egyptian economy. Not surprisingly, the gender gap persists in the informal sector. In 2020, out of the 17.5 million working without official documentation in the country, a staggering 89 percent were men.