In a nutshell:
- Decent work was a challenge for North African labour markets even pre-pandemic, with high unemployment, high informality and low female labour force participation.
- The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic and labour market difficulties created additional challenges for those who had been working or seeking work.
- There was a sharp initial contraction in employment in Q2 of 2020, during the strictest initial lockdown phase of the pandemic.
- Key labour market aggregates, such as employment, tended to recover soon thereafter, but to varying degrees across countries.
- Other indicators – such as hours of work, time-related underemployment and income – had more persistent negative effects.
- Informal workers, farmers and the self-employed tended to be the most affected by the pandemic but did not necessarily receive the most social assistance.
- Detailed data on worker characteristics and topics such as hours and income are needed to track the impact of shocks and progress of recovery.
- Ensuring vulnerable, informal workers have robust social protection should be a key priority for supporting workers in North Africa.
![Jobs and Growth in North Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic](https://erf.org.eg/app/uploads/2015/12/Caroline-Krafft-Pic-150x150.jpg)
Authors
Caroline Krafft
Associate Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs,...
![Jobs and Growth in North Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic](https://erf.org.eg/app/uploads/2015/12/1598550439_819_100673_nl_raguiasaad-150x150.png)
Research Fellows
Ragui Assaad
Professor of Planning and Public Affairs, University...
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Research Fellows
Mohamed Ali Marouani
Associate Professor, Université Paris1-Panthéon-Sorbonne