Egypt’s labour force rate hits 64.1% in ’23 – report

Egypt’s labour force rate dropped to 64.1 per cent in 2023 down from 67.5 per cent in 2022, according to a report published by Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) on the occasion of International Labour Day.

The report highlights an interesting disparity exists in permanent employment by gender. In 2023, 85.3 per cent of females were classified as permanent employees compared to 60.5 per cent of males.

The report also shows that 40.7 per cent of all employed individuals (aged 15 and above) participated in social insurance during 2023.

Interestingly, the participation rate is significantly higher for females with 65.4 per cent participating compared to 36.4 per cent of men.

The public sector boasts a much higher social insurance participation rate of 96.4 per cent compared to just 32.9 per cent in the private sector (onsite).

Working hours

• The average number of working hours per week for wage earners in Egypt stands at 44.6 hours.
• Men tend to work slightly longer hours on average, with a weekly average of 45.0 hours compared to 42.5 hours for women.
• Working hours vary by industry, with the highest average reported in food and accommodation services at 49.6 hours.

This is followed by administrative and support services (49.1 hours) and wholesale and retail trade (47.8 hours).

• Public sector employees work fewer hours, averaging 42.0 hours per week.

In contrast, employees in the public and business sectors average 45.7 hours, and those in the private sector (onsite) average 47.8 hours.

Notably, the report also highlights the National Wages Council’s decision to raise the minimum wage in the private sector to 6,000 Egyptian pounds, effective May 1, 2024.