Unemployment indicators declined during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2014 to 100,000 unemployed, according to Chairman of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Abu Bakr El-Gendy. The latest figures indicate that unemployment in Egypt has stabilised to 12.9%. CAPMAS data showed an increase in the labour force size to reach 27.7 million individuals during Q4 of last year, with an increase of 352,000 individuals, a 1.3% increase over the same period of 2013. The chairman mentioned in a press conference, on Sunday, that the number of the unemployed citizens reached 3.6 million individuals. This is a decrease of 100,000 individuals, representing a 2.7% decrease over the same period of 2013. The unemployment rates among males decreased to 9.2% during Q4 of 2014, as opposed to 10% during the same period of 2013, while unemployment rates among females decreased to 24.8% as opposed to 25% in 2013. The unemployment rate's decline in urban areas reached 15.5%, compared to 17.6% during the same period in 2013. The rate increased in the rural areas reaching 10.8% during Q4 of last year in comparison to 10.1%. Urban governorates recorded the highest unemployment rates at 16.5%, while the rural governorates of Upper Egypt recorded the lowest rates, 10.7%. CAPMAS statistics clarified that agriculture and fishing come on the top of activities list with 26.8%, followed by constructions and building with 11.3%, followed by manufacturing industries in third place with 11%, and finally real estate and renting activities at the end of the list with 0.1%. According to CAPMAS, the average weekly working hours are 47 for paid workers: 47.8 hours for males and 43.2 hours for females. Abu Bakr attributed the decline of unemployment indicators to growth of tourism during last year, as the number of comers reached 10m tourists, besides the improvement in indicators of manufacturing industries. According to Abu Bakr, there are no precise statistics for the number of Egyptians in Libya, currently, whereas a percentage travel using illegal methods. He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have warned citizens more than once from travelling to Libya because of the deterioration in the security situation.
