Egyptian workers leaving Libya increases unemployment in Egypt

A decline in Egyptian workers in Libya will increase unemployment in the near future as political instability continues to plague Libya, said Hamdy Imam, Recruitment Division chair at the Federation of Chambers of Commerce.

According to Imam, precise figures do not exist for the number of Egyptian workers in Libya, but preliminary indicators show that over one million workers were employed in the country.

In May, average unemployment exceeded 13% for Egypt’s total labour force of 26 million, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics.

“Egyptian workers in Libya are unskilled and work in the contracting, agriculture, and commercial services fields,” said Imam.

Wages for workers in Libya range between EGP 2,500-4,000, higher than wages earned by labourers in the Gulf, according to Imam.