Egypt's unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in 2010, according to a report published today by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). The report said the Egyptian labor force increased to 26.2 million workers, 77 percent of whom are male. In 2009, the labor force was 19.4 million, putting unemployment at 9.4 percent, with a similar gender ratio. Unpaid family workers comprise 10.9 percent of the total labor force. 75 percent of males contributed to the labor force in 2010, an increase from 72 percent in 2009. The contribution rate among females stood at 23.2 percent, an increase from 22.9 percent the previous. This indicates that the rise in the contribution rate among males was three times the rise among females. Contribution is higher in rural areas, 51.1 percent, than urban, 47.6 percent. The average rate of dependency – the number of individuals outside the labor force dependent on a single laborer – remained stable, with two dependants for each individual inside the labor force. The average number of weekly working hours for paid employees is 47.2 working hours. CAPMAS is a governmental statistic agency and critics say its unemployment figures are consistently low, with actual unemployment as much as two times the official figures. Critics say determination of the labor force is party to blame for the dichotomy.
