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Are labor markets in the Middle East and North Africa recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Author

Listed:
  • Krafft Caroline
  • Cheung Ruby
  • LaPlante Ava

    (Department of Economics and Political Science, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA)

  • Assaad Ragui

    (University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)

  • Marouani Mohamed Ali

    (UMR Développement et sociétés, IRD and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris, France)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only led to a health crisis, but also to economic and labor market crises. In an effort to avert the public health threat, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) initially put in place some of the world's most stringent government responses. This paper explores how labor market outcomes for MENA workers have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper uses the Economic Research Forum (ERF) COVID-19 MENA Monitor (CMM) phone surveys in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia, with waves spanning November 2020 to August 2021. Analyses examine outcomes of employment, unemployment, and labor force participation, along with hours of work and hourly wages. Results show differences in the evolution of pandemic-era labor markets by workers’ gender, age, and education, along with their February 2020 labor market status and industry, as well as their pre-pandemic income. Employment rates have largely recovered and hours of work generally increased. Inequality in wages was initially exacerbated by the pandemic, but there has been at least some recovery on this margin as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Krafft Caroline & Cheung Ruby & LaPlante Ava & Assaad Ragui & Marouani Mohamed Ali, 2023. "Are labor markets in the Middle East and North Africa recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic?," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 14(1), pages 1-68, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:izajdm:v:14:y:2023:i:1:p:68:n:1
    DOI: 10.2478/izajodm-2023-0001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ragui Assaad, 2014. "Making sense of Arab labor markets: the enduring legacy of dualism," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-25, December.
    2. Dingel, Jonathan I. & Neiman, Brent, 2020. "How many jobs can be done at home?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    3. Sher Verick, 2018. "Female labor force participation and development," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-87, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labor market; wages; hours; employment; unemployment; labor force; COVID-19; Middle East and North Africa; J21; J31; J22; I18;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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