Egypt’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 6% in Q1 of 2026

Egypt recorded a decline in its unemployment rate to 6% of the total labor force during the first quarter of 2026, marking a 0.2 percentage-point drop compared with the previous quarter, according to data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.

The country’s labor force reached 35.412 million individuals between January and March 2026, up from 34.829 million in the previous quarter, reflecting a 1.7% increase.

Urban labor force participation stood at 15.238 million individuals, while rural areas accounted for 20.174 million workers. By gender, the labor force included 27.588 million men and 7.824 million women.

The improvement in unemployment figures was attributed to an increase of approximately 610,000 employed individuals during the quarter, alongside a decline of 26,000 unemployed persons, resulting in a net expansion of the labor force by 583,000 people.

The total number of unemployed individuals fell to 2.126 million, representing 6% of the labor force, including 1.006 million men and 1.120 million women. The figure marks a decline of 1.2% compared with the previous quarter, although it remains slightly higher than the same period last year by around 15,000 individuals.

In urban areas, the unemployment rate declined sharply to 8.4%, down from 9.7% in the preceding quarter and 9.8% in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, unemployment in rural areas rose to 4.2%, compared with 3.4% in the previous quarter, though still above the 3.6% recorded a year earlier.

Data also showed that highly educated individuals continue to represent the majority of job seekers. Holders of intermediate, above-intermediate, and university qualifications accounted for 79.6% of the unemployed population during the quarter, compared with 82.1% in the previous quarter.

Among unemployed citizens, 41.5% held university degrees or higher qualifications, while 38.1% possessed intermediate or above-intermediate certificates. Meanwhile, 20.4% had educational attainment below the intermediate level.

The latest figures suggest continued improvement in Egypt’s labor market amid broader economic reform efforts, although challenges linked to graduate employment and regional labor disparities remain key concerns for policymakers.