The repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic has escalated Egypt’s unemployment rate to a two-year high, standing at 9.6% of the total workforce in the second quarter of 2020, up from 7.7% in the first quarter, the state-run Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) said in a statement Aug. 17.
CAPMAS ascribed the increase to the anti-coronavirus measures taken by the authorities such as the shutdown of schools, the suspension of flights, partial closing of shops and the night curfew.