Women’s participation in the Egyptian labor market : 1998-2012

Abstract EN

This paper examines the reasons for the persistently low participation of women in the Egyptian labor market over time and across the different economic sectors, using the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) 2012.

This panel dataset allows for an examination of the period leading up to and including the revolution, as it covers three different points in time: 1998, 2006 and 2012.

Despite the remarkable increase in women’s educational attainment, which has become higher for women than their male counterparts, participation in the labor market remains relatively low.

Confirming widespread opinion, the findings indicate that the January 25 Revolution has had a negative effect on women’s status in the labor market.

Labor force participation has decreased, and unemployment has increased.

It is thus important to analyze the different determinants of low female labor force participation.

These include factors related to the supply of female labor, relating to family circumstances such as marriage, fertility and time use, women’s preferences and reservation wages; as well as the factors related to the demand side, such as the shrinking public sector and discrimination in the private sector.

JEL Classification : D13, J16, J22.