Egypt's annual unemployment rate in 2020 stood at 7.9%, the same figure as 2019, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). The latest unemployment figures were issued, on Wednesday, as part of the annual bulletin of results for its labour force research in Egypt in 2020. The agency said that the unemployment rate among young people aged 15-29 accounted for 15.0% of the total workforce in the same age group, compared to 16.7% in 2019. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate as part of the total workforce in the same age group among male youth reached 10.7% and 37.0% among female youth. It added that the unemployment rate for young people in the age group between 15-29 years with an intermediate and university degree and above, amounted to 19.4% of the total labour force in the same age group in 2020 compared to 22.8% in 2019. According to the agency, the workforce was estimated at 28.458 million people in 2020, divided according to 23.684 million males and 4.774 million females. The labour force in urban areas reached 12.495 million people, while it amounted to 15.963 million people in the countryside. On the other hand, the number of unemployed reached 2.259 million in 2020, accounting for 1.413 million males and 846,000 females. This compared to 2.225 million unemployed people in 2019, an increase of 34,000 unemployed by 1.5%. The unemployment rate among males was 6.0% in 2020 compared to 4.8% in 2019, while the unemployment rate among females was 17.7% in 2020 compared to 21.7% in 2019. The unemployment rate in urban areas reached 11.4% compared to 5.2% in the countryside. This was driven by the availability of more job opportunities in the countryside. The unemployment rate among urban males was 8.7% and 3.9% among rural males, while the unemployment rate among urban females was 22.7% compared to 12.6% among rural females. This was driven by the rate of female participation in agricultural activities in the countryside. The percentage of unemployed who had previously worked was 58.3% of the total unemployed, while it was 31.3% in 2019. The agency indicated that the estimate of employed individuals amounted to 26.199 million employees in 2020, including 22.271 million males and 3.928 million females. This compared to 26.123 million employees in 2019, including 22.1133 million male employees, and 3.990 million female employees. The estimate of employed individuals in urban areas was 11.067 million, and 15.132 million in the countryside. The number of workers with cash wages amounted to 19.032 million, or 72.6% of the total employees, compared to 71.1% in 2019. In comparison, the number of those working in an unpaid capacity reached 1.366 million, at a rate of 5.2% of the total number of employees. CAPMAS said that the number of workers in the agricultural and fishing sector reached 5.325 million, or 20.3% of the total employees. The number of workers in wholesale and retail trade reached 3.793 million, or 14.5% of the total employees. Meanwhile, the number of workers in the construction and building activity reached 3.518 million, or 13.4% of the total employees. The number of workers in the manufacturing industries was 3.410 million employees, or 13.0% of the total employees. The activity of international and regional organisations and bodies, foreign embassies, and consulates accounted for the lowest numbers in terms of number of employees, accounting for 2,100 employees.
