Job creation and productivity in Egypt : ERF – EBRD Seminar

Cairo – Eco - Fady labib - Nariman yanny : Creating jobs, particularly formal, skilled, and decent jobs is one of the most pressing challenges facing the Egyptian economy. Moreover, the development of a vibrant private sector is essential for sustainable employment and inclusive growth in Egypt ...

Creating a conducive environment for private sector development depends on a sound understanding of the performance of private firms, as well as the problems they face.

Having been granted access to the data of the Economic Census of 2013 by CAPMAS, two research projects were conducted, one by ERF and another by EBRD. The first project is addressing aspects of labor demand and job creation, and the other is focusing on firm productivity, firm dynamics and growth prospects.

More concretely, the ERF project focus is on labor demand. With rising informality, irregularity, and wage stagnation, weak labor demand has been identified as a key constraint and driver of poor labor market outcomes. However, very little is known about labor demand by Egyptian firms. Limited data and lack of access for researchers to analyze the data that do exist have been key constraints on understanding labor demand. With the availability of data it was possible to analyze job creation, wage inequality, and gender aspects of the labor market, among other topics.

The EBRD project focuses on the institutional foundation of a market economy, seen from the point of view of firms. The report conducts a bottom-up analysis, starting from firm-level and moving to sectors and regions, to assess the type of institutional and regulatory gaps that are blocking the structural transformation of the Egyptian economy in its voyage from a poor state dominated economy with surplus labor and low productivity, to an industrialized economy with a self-sustaining process of improvement in capital and skills.

The objective of the seminar is to provide a platform for presenting, discussing, and disseminating the papers among the research and policy-making communities in Egypt.

The seminar is organized jointly by ERF and EBRD. The workshop will convene for one day, gathering around 70 participants. Two papers will be presented per session. Each session will last for an hour and 15 minutes, which will be divided as follows: each presenter will speak for15 minutes, the discussant will have 10 minutes for each paper and 25 minutes will be left for open discussion.

About Economic Research Forum ( ERF) : was established in 1993 and encompasses a regional network of economists, It is best known for producing research that tackles MENA’s most pressing development challenge .. ERF’s core objectives of building a strong research capacity in the ERF region; leading and supporting the production of independent, high-quality economic research; and disseminating research to a wide and diverse audience are accomplished through an array of activities, including a peer-reviewed Middle East Development Journal. ERF is supported by multiple regional and international donors and boasts an extensive track record of initiating timely economic research for the sustainable development of MENA countries .      

       (ERF Website : www.erf.org.eg)

About EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD): invests to build up effective market economies across three continents and to make a positive impact on people’s lives .. With a focus on private sector investment and support for policy reform, we work to ensure that economies in our regions are competitive, inclusive, well-governed, sustainable, resilient and integrated .. The EBRD is the largest single investor in many of the countries where it operates. It is active in 38 economies from central Europe to Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the southern and eastern Mediterranean. The Bank’s investments also mobilize significant foreign direct investment into the economies where we operate. It invests mainly in private enterprises, usually together with commercial partners. It maintains a close political dialogue with governments, authorities and representatives of civil society to promote its goals. In all its operations the EBRD follows the highest standards in corporate governance and sustainable development.