BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SDG 8

As one of Africa’s most populous nations and a major economic hub located between Africa, Asia, and Europe, Egypt plays an important role in the achievement of SDG 8. The North African country benefits from a large domestic market, a diverse economy, and abundant potential for further economic development (World Bank, n.d.). Therefore, the implementation of SDG 8’s targets is of particular importance for Egypt, which has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to SDG 8 and to the UN’s 2030 Agenda within multiple Voluntary National Reviews and by integrating it within its national framework Egypt Vision 2030 (Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, 2026, p. 4). Egypt has made considerable progress in restoring economic growth and reducing unemployment following turbulent years of economic instability (World Bank, n.d.). However, the country continues to face significant challenges in achieving economic growth and decent work for all, particularly because of insufficient job creation in high-productivity sectors, widespread informality, and persisting barriers keeping youth and women excluded from the labour market. 

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Egypt’s most important challenge with respect to SDG 8 is the country's difficulty in creating productive and high-quality jobs for its growing workforce. Egypt’s economic growth has been weak in recent years, as major international crises and resurging military conflicts in the region have brought instability to the Egyptian economy, hampering job creation as a result (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2024, pp. 13-15). On average, 1.3 million young Egyptians enter the labour market every year, while only around 500,000 jobs are created (World Bank, 2025). This shortage of employment opportunities is pushing many Egyptians out of the labour force entirely, as the employment rate remains low despite the relatively low unemployment rate, which stood at 5.94% in 2024 (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UNDESA], n.d.).

Moreover, the lack of sufficient employment opportunities disproportionately affects Egyptian women and the Egyptian youth. Merely 18.5% of women participated in the labour force in 2022, compared with 72.6% of men, and almost 24% of Egypt’s youth was not in education, employment or training in 2024 (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2024, p. 19; UNDESA, n.d.). As reported by the ILO (2024), the barriers faced by Egypt’s young men and women in accessing employment are primarily rooted in their limited access to vocational training, the financial constraints they face, and a lack of job opportunities, all of which prevent them from developing the skills demanded by Egypt’s labour market and from accessing decent work (p. 1). Therefore, aligning Egypt’s education system more closely with employer demand, expanding apprenticeships and practical training opportunities, providing financial assistance to young men and women, and fostering partnerships with the private sector to support internships and entry-level hiring are crucial to improving the employability of disadvantaged groups and to unleashing the economy’s full potential (ILO, 2026). The World Bank (2025) estimates that achieving full youth employment could potentially increase Egypt’s GDP by 36%, while closing the gender employment gap by raising female employment could even increase it by 68%.

Furthermore, widespread informality in the Egyptian economy also hinders the achievement of SDG 8. The ILO (2025) estimates that nearly 67% of Egyptian workers were informally employed in 2025 (p. 2). As stressed by the ILO (2015), employment within the informal economy is typically accompanied by precarious working conditions, unregulated working arrangements, and a complete lack of social and legal protection that leave most informal economy workers in an extremely vulnerable position. Economic pressures represented by high taxes and social security contributions, the complexity of Egypt’s regulatory environment, and the widespread perception among workers that the immediate financial benefits of informal employment outweigh the long-term benefits of formal jobs keep a large number of Egyptian workers in the informal economy (ILO, 2025, p. 2). Therefore, a comprehensive approach addressing Egypt’s labour market and the country’s fiscal and regulatory framework is needed to reduce informality and encourage formal employment. 

LIST OF REFERENCES AND USEFUL LINKS

International Labour Organization. (2015, March 23). Informal economy: a hazardous activity. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from  https://www.ilo.org/resource/other/informal-economy-hazardous-activity

International Labour Organization. (2024). Skills mapping in Egypt: Opportunity scouting and skills mapping analysis. https://doi.org/10.54394/GPGS5135

International Labour Organization. (2025). Informal economy diagnostic study in Egypt: With focus on agriculture, engineering, food industries, readymade garments and transportation sectors.  https://doi.org/10.54394/NMNI6374

International Labour Organization. (2026, January 7). Y-NEET in Egypt. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from https://www.ilo.org/y-neet-egypt

Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. (2026). Egypt 2026: Voluntary National Review.  United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. https://hlpf.un.org/sites/default/files/vnrs/2026/VNR%202026%20Egypt%20Report_0.pdf

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024). OECD Economic Surveys: Egypt. https://doi.org/10.1787/af900de2-en

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). SDG Country Profile: Egypt. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/countryprofiles/egy

World Bank. (2025, November 24). More Jobs, Better Jobs: the Engine for Egypt’s Future Growth. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/11/24/more-jobs-better-jobs-the-engine-for-egypt-s-future-growth

World Bank. (n.d.). Overview: Egypt. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from  https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/egypt#tab-about