Minister of Planning and Economic Development signs a tripartite MoU for the implementation of the fifth cycle of the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS)

H.E. Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, witnessed today, the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMS), and the Economic Research Forum, within the framework of participation and strengthening cooperation in the implementation of the fifth session of the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS), for the year 2023.

The signing ceremony witnessed the presence of Major General Khairat Barakat, Head of CAPMS, Dr. Hassan Ali, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Economic Research Forum and Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at Nile University, and Dr. Hanan Nazir, Director of the Labor Market Policies Unit at the Ministry.

A Ministry of Planning and Economic Development representative, Dr. Hanan Nazir, Director of the Labor Market Policies Unit, signed the protocol. From the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Dr. Shaker Lotfy Al-Najjar, Acting Head of the Population Statistics and Censuses Sector also signed the protocol.

H.E. Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, stated that, in light of the extended cooperation between the CAPMS and the Economic Research Forum, the tracking labor market survey was conducted in Egypt in its four sessions for the years 1998, 2006, 2012 and 2018.

She confirmed that it has tracked a group of families and individuals for two decades. 

"Data has become the backbone of research on labor markets, human development, migration, family formation, and social protection in Egypt in recent years," she said.

El-Said stressed that the launch of a new cycle of the tracking labor market survey "2023 ELMPS" and the updating of the tracking data for the previous years of the survey represents an opportunity to study how the Egyptian labor market is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and to integrate a study of many recent phenomena.

She continued that the signed MoUs aim to support the efforts of the fifth consecutive session of the 2023 survey. This is done through the concerted efforts of the collaborating parties. This supports funding, technical support, and data collection and dissemination.

The main product is the production of an updated database to survey Egypt's tracking labor market. This database includes the longest regiment tracked in Egypt and Arab countries for 25 years. Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) provides data on the same families over time and identifies individuals separated from their original families. This provides insight into marriage dynamics. Migration, labor transfers, and updating Egyptian labor market data.

El-Said added that the 2023 survey aims at an in-depth analysis of the effects of the changes in the Egyptian economy since 2018 on the various groups in Egyptian society, and the obstacles and opportunities women face in the Egyptian labor market.

She explained that the first round of the survey will add questions about green jobs and the labor economy via electronic platforms.

The 2023 survey aims to analyze in depth the effects of changes in the Egyptian economy since 2018 on different groups in Egyptian society. It also aims to analyze women's obstacles and opportunities in the Egyptian labor market.

El-Said noted that the signing of the memorandum of understanding aimed to develop labor market mechanisms to achieve the structural reform program vision. This was done by supporting policies that enhance Egypt's labor market efficiency and growth. It is also part of the State's efforts to establish a labor market information system.

This is something for which the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development is responsible in coordination with other stakeholders, according to El-Said.

Moreover, the signing of the MoUs aims to establish a unified data system containing all information on the size and composition of the labor market and its problems.

This information should be updated periodically and continue to address unemployment and poverty problems and to keep abreast of recent changes in employment patterns due to technological development, digital transformation, and its impact on labor market requirements.