File Photo: Tailors sewing at the Marie Louis textile clothing and textile factory in the 10th of Ramadan city, about 60 kms north of Cairo. AFP
According to CAPMAS's annual labour force survey, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15–29 dropped to 14.9 percent in 2024, a 1 percent decrease from 2023.
Male youth unemployment stood at 9.8 percent, while female youth unemployment was significantly higher at 37.1 percent.
The report also showed that unemployment among those aged 15–19 years recorded 12.2 percent in 2024, down slightly from 12.4 percent in 2023.
Among youth with intermediate, higher, and university-level education, the unemployment rate reached 18.7 percent in 2024, compared to 20.3 percent in 2023.
Egypt’s total labour force reached 32.041 million individuals in 2024, a 2.9 percent increase from 31.149 million in 2023.
Of this total, 26.08 million were male and 5.961 million were female.
Labour force participation was higher in rural areas (17.963 million) than in urban centers (14.078 million).
The number of unemployed individuals stood at 2.113 million in 2024, down from 2.19 million in 2023, reflecting a decrease of 77,000 people, or 3.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Urban unemployment declined to 9.6percent in 2024, compared to 9.9 percent in 2023, while rural unemployment dropped to 4.2 percent from 4.8 percent.
Gender disparities remain stark, with urban male unemployment at 6.3 percent and rural male unemployment at 2.6 percent.
Among women, urban unemployment was notably high at 21.8 percent, compared to 12.4 percent in rural areas, where more women participate in agricultural activities.
The percentage of unemployed individuals who had previously worked dropped to 42.3 percent in 2024, compared to 45.3 percent the year before.
Regarding employment, the total number of employed individuals reached 29.928 million in 2024, up by 3.3 percent from 28.959 million in 2023.
Of the employed, 24.989 million were male and 4.939 million were female.
Urban employment accounted for 12.726 million workers, while 17.202 million were employed in rural areas.
Agriculture and fishing remained the largest employment sectors, engaging 5.594 million workers, representing 18.7 percent of the workforce.
Wholesale and retail trade followed, employing 4.636 million individuals (15.5 percent), while the construction sector employed 4.042 million (13.5 percent).
The manufacturing sector showed robust growth, employing 3.946 million workers (13.2 percent), a 5.4 percent increase from 2023.
The overall economic activity rate rose slightly to 44.2 percent among those aged 15 and above, compared to 43.4 percent in 2023.
Male economic participation reached 70.3 percent in 2024, while female participation rose to 16.9 percent, indicating that men’s participation remains over four times higher than that of women.
Urban economic activity participation increased to 44 percent in 2024, compared to 42.7 percent in 2023, while rural participation reached 44.4 percent, up slightly from 44 percent the previous year.
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