Ragui Assaad
Professor and Freeman Chair for International Economic Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Ragui Assaad is Professor and Freeman Chair for International Economic Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He has been a Research Fellow of the Economic Research Forum (ERF) since 1994. He is a non-resident Research Fellow of the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn, Germany. Assaad’s current research focuses on labor markets and human development in the Arab World, with a focus on youth and gender issues as they relate to education, transition from school-to-work, labor force participation, employment and unemployment, informality, migration, and family formation.
Areas of Interest:
- Labor markets in the Arab World
- Education and human resource development
- Youth transitions to adulthood
- Inequality of opportunity
Education:
- Ph.D., City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, 1991
- M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 1981
Experience:
- Professor of Planning and Public Affairs, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 2003-present
- Regional Director for West Asia and North Africa, The Population Council, 2005-2008
- Associate Professor of Planning and Public Affairs, with tenure, 1997-2003
Latest Publications:
- Assaad, R. A., Krafft, C., & Yassin, S. 2020. Job creation or labor absorption? An analysis of private sector job growth in Egypt. Middle East Development Journal. DOI: 10.1080/17938120.2020.1753978.
- Assaad, R. & C. Krafft. 2020. Excluded generation: the growing challenges of labor market insertion for Egyptian youth. Journal of Youth Studies, 1-27. doi: 10.1080/13676261.2020.1714565.
- Assaad, R., Barsoum, G. 2019. “Public employment in the Middle East and North Africa: Does a changing public sector workforce in the MENA region provide an opportunity for efficient restructuring?” IZA World of Labor 2019: 463. DOI: 10.15185/izawol.463.
- Assaad, R., R. Hendy and D. Salehi-Isfahani. 2019. “Inequality of opportunity in educational attainment in the Middle East and North Africa: Evidence from household surveys.” International Journal of Educational Development 66: 24-43.
- Krafft, C. and R. Assaad (eds.) 2019. The Jordanian Labor Market Between Fragility and Resilience. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Assaad, R. and M. Boughzala (eds.) 2018. The Tunisian Labor Market in an Era of Transition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Assaad, R. and C. Krafft (eds.) 2015. The Egyptian Labor Market in an Era of Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
The Impact of Early Childhood Care and Education on Maternal Employment in Jordan
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
June, 2026
Working PapersFrom Pressure to Prosperity: Can Jordan Translate Demographic Change into A Dividend?
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
June, 2026
Policy BriefsHousehold Appliances, Infrastructural Services and Married Women’s Unpaid Care Work in Egypt
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
April, 2026
Working PapersThe Evolution of the Structure of Employment and Job Quality in Jordan: 2010-2025
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
April, 2026
Working PapersJob Quality Has Improved for Jordanians Since 2016, But Signs of Vulnerability Remain
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
April, 2026
Policy BriefsEgypt Labor Market Panel Survey 2023
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
2023-01-15
Jobs and Growth in North Africa
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
2020-12-15
Reimagining Social Protection in Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
2020-11-17
Improving Rigorous Evidence for Better Civic Engagement on Social Protection and Supporting the Network’s Institutional Strengthening
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
2020-06-15
Employment and Unemployment in Tunisia
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
2015-06-15
Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion, And Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
Jun 29, 2026
ERF 32nd Annual Conference: After the Shock – Reform, Resilience, and Economic Transformation in MENA
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
Jun 14, 2026
ERF 31st Annual Conference: Youth, Demographic Dividend and Migration in MENA
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
Apr 27, 2025
ERF 31st Annual Conference: Parallel Sessions
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
Apr 27, 2025
Regional Policy Conference on: Clean Energy Transition in the Middle East and North Africa and the Role of Small, Medium and Micro Firms
Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood... Read More
Feb 04, 2025