by Zainab Nawar*
Economist and Assistant Lecturer at the British University in Egypt
When you read any of the daily newspapers, you may be astonished with the announcement of hundreds, or even thousands, of job opportunities that are set to be offered to Egyptian youth. This, however, reflects a problem, as creating decent, quality jobs is not an easy task. It is the quality, not just the quantity, that we have to focus on when planning for the job market in Egypt.
Progressive societies are measured by their ability to improve the quality of life for every successive generation. The Egyptian government has a momentous problem in ensuring that today’s youth, one of the largest segments of the population, have more opportunities than their parents and are able to contribute fully to the country’s stability and prosperity. Egypt now has the largest cohort of youth in its history, with people aged 15-29 at 24 million (CAPMAS, 2013). So we can imagine the return for the Egyptian community if these 24 million were equipped properly. When focusing only on the quantity of jobs offered to the youth, we end up with a preponderance of low quality jobs.
These low paying jobs provide little in terms of social insurance, stability, and potential for advancement. Because employment is so important for securing livelihood, social integration, and individual self-esteem, obtaining decent work is fundamental to improving quality of life. A majority of young Egyptians are starting their careers in low quality jobs. Only 33 per cent of employed youth have a legal contract with their employers, 30 per cent have social insurance coverage, and 21 per cent have medical insurance. Thus, the majority of youth who are able to obtain paid employment in fact work in poor quality jobs that do not allow them to support families and complete their transition to adulthood and independence. If unemployment is a problem that affects youth currently seeking employment, low job quality is an issue that also affects their future. Low quality jobs also eliminate the potential for young people’s access to social security in old age and at times when they are unable to work due to illness or pregnancy, as well as eliminate the possibility of access to health insurance.
Planning for a decent and quality job is a necessity. Before announcing the quantity of jobs available, we should plan for the quality of these jobs. Reforming education and preparing the youth to compete in the global economy are solutions to prevent not only unemployment, but also employment in low quality jobs. This will prevent the country’s youth from falling into the trap of poverty and radicalisation.
* Economist and Assistant lecturer at the British University in Egypt
