Unemployment down to 12% in the first quarter of 2017

CAIRO – 25 June 2017: Unemployment in Egypt declined to 12 percent in the first quarter of calendar year 2017 from 12.4 percent in the final quarter of 2016 with youth and women having the highest shares in unemployment rates.

Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan told the press on Saturday that youth turnout to employment fairs organized by the Ministry, which is functioning as a mediator between employers and jobseekers, has been very high.

The ministry is also displaying job opportunities on its website and notifying potential candidates registered in the service via SMS of job openings, according to their qualifications. Saafan said there were 71,036 participants in the SMS employment service in January. Among applicants, there are 26,513 university graduates, 9,014 college graduates, 705 high school graduates, 5,352 school dropouts and 6,453 who never went to school.

The service includes sending information on labor laws to raise participants’ awareness of their duties and rights.

The ministry has been assuming that role in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform.