Is Egypt’s Job Ladder Broken? Evidence from 25 Years of Employment Panel Data
No.
PB 169
Publisher
ERF
Date
October, 2026
Topic
J6. Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers
J1. Demographic Economics
- Upward mobility on Egypt’s job ladder has declined over the past 25 years, while downward movement has increased, leaving more workers stuck in lower-tier informal employment.
- Labor market mobility matters for welfare: moving up the job ladder raises wealth and lowers poverty risk.
- Household enterprises are not an escalator for all, but they help the most precarious workers move up.
- Moving workers up the job ladder requires expanding social insurance coverage, which depends on giving firms reasons to operate formally, and occupational upgrading for informal workers.
Authors
Paloma Avendano
Ph.D. Student, Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Speakers
Ruotong Li
Ph.D. Student, Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
Authors
Carmen Armas Montalvo
PhD Candidate in Applied Economics, Department of...
Authors
Caroline Krafft
Associate Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs,...
Research Fellows
Ragui Assaad
Professor and Freeman Chair for International Economic...
Research Associates
Imane Helmy
Senior Economist at World Bank’s Poverty and...