Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Jala Youssef
Jala Youssef
PhD Candidate in Economics at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in Double Degree with Cairo University

Jala Youssef is a PhD Candidate in Economics at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in Double Degree with Cairo University. She is also a Consultant at the World Bank (Egypt Country Office, the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment (MTI) Global Practice). She was an Assistant Lecturer on part time basis at the French Section of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2018, she worked for three years as a researcher at the Economic Research Forum (ERF). She previously worked for the Egyptian Government in two different positions at the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Egyptian Competition Authority. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University and the University of Paris 1 Panthéon- Sorbonne, and an M.A. in Applied Economics from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Her main research interests include structural change, economics of growth, macroeconomics, and competition economics.

Content by this Author

On the economics and politics of IMF loans

Loans made by the International Monetary Fund are supposed to be based mainly on technical economic considerations. But as this column explains, international politics can play a key role in the IMF’s lending decisions. What’s more, domestic politics in recipient countries can have a significant impact on the outcomes of loans, with democratic regimes more likely to experience economic benefits.

Competition laws: a key role for economic growth in MENA

Competition policy lacks the attention it deserves in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region characterised by monopolies and lack of market contestability. As this column explains, there are many questions about the extent of anti-competitive barriers facing new market entrants in the region. What’s more, MENA’s weak overall performance on competition is likely to be hindering economic growth and the path towards structural transformation.

Most read

Empowering Egypt’s young people for the future of work

Egypt’s most urgent priority is creating more and better jobs for its growing youth population. This column reports on the first Development Dialogue, an ERF–World Bank joint initiative, which brought together students, scholars, policy-makers and private sector leaders at Cairo University to confront the country’s labour market challenge. The conversation explored why youth inclusion matters, what the data show and how dialogue and the forthcoming Country Economic Memorandum can inform practical pathways to accelerate job creation.

Preparing youth for the workforce of the future

As economies undergo rapid digital and green transformations, young people face a growing mismatch between their skills and what the modern labour market needs. This column argues that enabling youth to compete in the workforce of the future requires systemic reforms in education, skills formation and labour market institutions, especially in developing economies.

Connectivity and conflict: understanding the risks of inequality in the Middle East

While high inequality does not always lead to conflict, new research reported in this column shows that widespread internet access acts as a catalyst, transforming economic grievances into political instability. For policy-makers in the Middle East and North Africa, this means that as digital connectivity expands, the security costs of ignoring economic disparities rise dramatically. The combination of idle youth, high inequality and high-speed internet is a volatile mix.

The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.




Linkedin