The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) reported a decline in the unemployment rate during the first quarter of 2017, to reach 12 percent of the total labor force, compared to 12.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, and 12.7 percent in the first quarter of 2016.
The Labor Force Survey for the January-March 2017 quarter showed that the workforce was estimated at 29.149 million, with an increase of 79,000 (0.3 percent) compared to the fourth quarter of 2016; and an increase of 710,000 workers (2.5 percent) compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
The number of unemployed workers reached 3.503 million in the first quarter of 2017, equal to 12 percent of the total labor force. It recorded a decrease of 88,000 unemployed (2.5 percent), compared to the fourth quarter of 2016; and a decrease of 118,000 unemployed (3.3 percent) compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
The proportion of unemployed youth in the age group 15 to 29 years old made up 79 percent of the total unemployed ratio.
The urban unemployment rate reached 13.7 percent of the total labor force, compared to 14 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016; and about 15.2 percent in the same quarter of the previous year. The rural unemployment rate reached 10.8 percent of the total labor force, compared to 11.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 10.9 percent in the same quarter of the previous year.
The survey showed that the percentage of unemployed workers with university or higher degrees reached 40 percent of the total unemployment rate; while those with intermediate qualifications made up 51.9 percent of the total number unemployed workers.
