The unemployment rate has increased to 12.7% in 2012, up from 12% in 2011, and 9% in 2010, according to a report released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). This brings the total number of unemployed to 3.425 million, up from 3.183 million in 2011, an increase of 242,000 people. The report revealed that the proportion of the unemployed in 2012 who were previously employed amounted to 25.3%. This proportion was 28.8% in 2011. CAPMAS attributed the increase to the circumstances in Egypt following the 25 January Revolution and the ensuing events “that resulted in a slowdown in economic activities during this period". The unemployment rate stood at 16.3% in urban areas and at 9.9% in rural areas. Urban governorates recorded the highest rates of unemployment, reaching 17.9%, followed by rural border provinces, where unemployment amounted to 16.3%. Rural Upper Egypt recorded the lowest rates of unemployment, reaching 8.5%. CAPMAS said the proportion of the total unemployed accounted for by holders of secondary school diplomas, associate degrees and university degrees amounted to 85.1%, with 33.2% of these being university degree holders or above. The total size of the workforce amounted to about 27 million people in 2012, compared to 26.53 million in 2011, an increase of 492,000, bringing the number of males employed to 20.87 million versus 6.15 million for females. The number of those employed, excluding manual labour, rose to 23.6 million workers, compared to 23.35 million workers in 2011, bringing the number of males to 18.93 million compared to 4.66 million female workers.
