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

Author

Listed:
  • Caroline Krafft

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

  • Ragui Assaad

    (University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affair)

  • Mohamed Ali Marouani

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

  • Ruby Cheung

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

  • Ava LaPlante

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

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only led to a health crisis, but also to economic and labour 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 labour market outcomes for MENA workers have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper uses the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic Research Forum (ERF) COVID-19 MENA Monitor phone surveys in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia, with waves spanning November 2020 to August 2021. Analyses examine outcomes of employment, unemployment, and labour force participation, along with hours of work and hourly wages. Results show differences in the evolution of pandemic-era labour markets by workers’ gender, age, and education, along with their February 2020 labour 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. The webinars, reports and papers are supported by the project “Advancing the Decent Work Agenda in North Africa (ADWA’)”, implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The project aims to promote job-rich growth, International Labour Standards (ILS) and their application at the enterprise level. It works at the policymaking level in order to support evidence-based decisions on key dimensions of the Decent Work Agenda. This project was made possible by the generous contributions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the Government of the United Kingdom, the World Bank and the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development (AFESD).

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline Krafft & Ragui Assaad & Mohamed Ali Marouani & Ruby Cheung & Ava LaPlante, 2022. "Are labour markets in the Middle East and North Africa recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic?," Working Papers SWP20223, Economic Research Forum, revised 20 Jun 2022.
    • Handle: RePEc:erg:wpaper:swp20223
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dingel, Jonathan I. & Neiman, Brent, 2020. "How many jobs can be done at home?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    2. 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.
    3. Sher Verick, 2025. "Female labor force participation and development," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 873-873, May.
    4. 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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    Cited by:

    1. Ragui Assaad & Caroline Krafft, 2023. "Labour market dynamics and youth unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa: Evidence from Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 37(4), pages 519-553, December.
    2. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Salehi-Isfahani, Djavad & Do, Minh N. N., 2024. "The impacts of COVID-19 on female labor force participation in Iran," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1440, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Dang,Hai-Anh H. & Salehi Isfahani,Djavad & Do,Minh N. N., 2024. "The Impacts of COVID-19 on Female Labor Force Participation in the Islamic Republic of Iran," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10801, The World Bank.
    4. Wahby,Sarah Mohammad Osman & Assaad,Ragui A, 2024. "Job Finding and Separation among Syrian refugees in Jordan and Their Hosts during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10670, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    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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