The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development participates in the opening of the first national forum on the future of work in Egypt

Egypt's Ministry of Planning and Economic Development participated on Sunday in the opening of the first national forum on the future of work in Egypt, organized by the German Agency for Development, in the presence of a group of experts in the fields of economics and politics, university professors, representatives of the private sector and civil society.
Dr. Hala El-Said,  Minister of Planning and Economic Development, explained in her speech that Dr. Hanan Nazir, advisor to the National Council for Wages at the Ministry of Planning, stated that the labor market receives special attention in light of global changes, foremost of which is the technological progress that the world is witnessing, which is called the fourth industrial revolution.
El-Said added that interest in the labor market and its future is increasing in light of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, as governments have sought to confront this epidemic by taking strict precautionary measures.


She further explained that the crisis resulted in unprecedented economic and social repercussions, as global supply and supply chains were affected, manufacturing activity stopped, and wages levels declined.

 The global unemployment rate during the pandemic also increased from 5.4% in 2019 to 6.6% in 2020, as about 38 million people joined the unemployed as a result of job loss, El-Said said.
El-Said added that these developments are fundamental changes in work and employment patterns, which will undoubtedly be followed by the disappearance of many common jobs and the emergence of new jobs such as those related to big data, artificial intelligence systems, and personal health.
She stressed that the changes that the world is witnessing at the level of the labor market have made governments place this issue at the forefront of their priorities, to keep pace with the rapid developments and maximize the benefit from the human resources of countries.

She pointed to the reflection of the Egyptian state's interest in the labor market in its development vision "Egypt Vision 2030", which is based on the principle of investment in the human element, and the adoption of educational systems that stimulate knowledge and innovation.
El-Said explained that Egypt is seeking to benefit from its demographic grant by representing about 35% of the youth workforce, which represents one of the most important strengths of the Egyptian economy, by building their capabilities and directing the potentials inherent in them to suit the requirements of the era in terms of jobs and skills.


El-Said emphasized that the state is working to develop the education and training system to prepare and equip current students who represent the potential workforce, as well as rehabilitate those in the current workforce and lay the digital foundations for long-term economic development.

She pointed out that the Egyptian state has adopted an ambitious program of structural reforms, following the belief that attracting investment is a basic determinant of providing decent job opportunities. The program includes a main axis aimed at raising the efficiency and flexibility of the labor market and developing the technical education and vocational training system.

She also touched on the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Egypt Manpower Project to establish a platform for sectoral skills councils to represent an umbrella for all sectoral skills councils in Egypt, which aims to improve the link between the supply and demand sides.