Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Ragui Assaad

Ragui Assaad

Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

The evolution of labour supply in Egypt

Egypt’s labour market: new survey data for evidence-based decision-making

Sudan’s labour market in an era of shocks

Sudan’s labour market: new data in turbulent times

View all columns
Hoda Assem

Hoda Assem

Conflict and debt in the Middle East and North Africa

Altered destinies: the long-term effects of food insecurity in the MENA region

MENA’s unexpectedly low inflation

View all columns
Lydia Assouad

Lydia Assouad

Inequality in the Middle East

Is the Middle East the world’s most unequal region?

View all columns
Aziz Atamanov

Aziz Atamanov

Measuring monetary poverty in MENA: data gaps and how to address them

View all columns
Ahmet Atıl Aşıcı

Ahmet Atıl Aşıcı

Europe’s carbon pricing plans: potential effects on Turkey’s economy

View all columns

Most read

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.

Untapped talent, unrealised growth: jobs and women in the MENAAP region

Only around one in five women of working age participate in the labour markets of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As this column explains, the region can no longer afford to leave half its human capital underused. Expanding women’s labour force participation is central to growth and resilience in the face of looming demographic change.

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.

Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

Egypt’s manufacturing sector faces a dual challenge of weak job creation and persistent informality. Drawing on survey evidence on business behaviour and labour market dynamics, this column explains why job creation is limited and informal work remains such an integral part of how firms organise production. The generation of more formal jobs requires a comprehensive policy approach, one that goes beyond enforcement of labour regulations to reshape the economic environment in which firms and workers make decisions.




Linkedin