Navigating a Divided Economy: Youth Unemployment and Privilege in Egypt

Youth make up the majority of unemployed Egyptians. Class and family connections, or “wasta,” play a primary role in the job seeking process, increasing barriers to employment for less connected Egyptians. Since the 2011 revolution, unemployment has risen and economic prospects have gotten worse, especially for youth. Without jobs, young people struggle to transition to adulthood and to participate in their communities. Video Sources: "Egyptian Sunset Timelapse" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oMDb0wJRlw Pause The Moment via YouTube, licensed by Creative Commons Attribution-Sampling Plus 1.0., http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/. "Egyptian Urban Action العمران .. موقف" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2i8HVnKtls Omnia Khalil via YouTube, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode "Egyptian Revolutionaries by Farfahinne" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDuI6H1JUqw Farfahinne Kob via YouTube, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode "Street Vendors بياعين: دفعونا ضرائب، متقطعوش عننا اكل العيش" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bkNayexngQ The Mosireen Collective via YouTube, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode "Ciudades Seguras - El Cairo" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSU7BOyqF_o Cooperación Española AECID via YouTube, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode Leben in Kairo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG9UUe-jzbM Anita Bünter via Youtube, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode Photo Sources: State Department/ Public Domain https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/16803948642 REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany Reports and Statistics: Ghada Amin “Egypt Country Report: Policies and Mechanisms for Integration into the Workforce and Job Creation”(ICQN/TVSD Ministerial Conference, 2014). “Data Collection Survey on Human Resource Development in the Industry Sector in the Middle East Region” (Japan International Cooperation Agency, 2012). “World Development Indicators 2010-2013” (World Bank Group, 2013). Ragui Assaad and Caroline Krafft “The Evolution of Labor Supply and Unemployment in the Egyptian Economy, 1988-2012” (Economic Research Forum, 2013). Marc Tobias Schiffbauer, et. all “Jobs or Privileges: Unleashing the Employment Potential of the Middle East and North Africa” (World Bank Group, 2015). Paul Salem “The Promise of Arab Youth: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow” (The Middle East Institute, 2015).