Unemployment rate in Egypt declines to 6% in Q1 2026: CAPMAS

CAIRO – 15 May 2026: Egypt’s unemployment rate declined to 6% of the total labor force during the first quarter of 2026, down from 6.2% in the final quarter of 2025, according to a report released Friday by Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The report showed a notable increase in the labor force, including both employed and unemployed individuals, which rose to 35.412 million, compared to 34.829 million in the previous quarter, marking a 1.7% increase. CAPMAS attributed the growth to the entry of approximately 583,000 new individuals into the labor market.

Meanwhile, the total number of unemployed individuals fell to 2.126 million, accounting for 6% of the labor force. The figure included 1.006 million men and 1.120 million women.

The urban unemployment rate declined significantly to 8.4%, compared to 9.7% in the previous quarter. In contrast, the rural unemployment rate increased to 4.2%, up from 3.4% in the preceding quarter.