Work conditions in Egypt

The Active Population in Figures

Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration

The length work is 8 hours per day, 6 days per week with a maximum of 48 hours per week, and a rest obligation of a minimum of 24 consecutive hours in a week. There is a minimum 1 hour of rest for a day of work. If an employee works for more than 8 hours per day, he has a right to a 35% bonus for day work and 70% bonus for night work.

Retirement Age

60 years.

Working Contracts

The work contracts are governed (in order of importance) by legal provision, collective agreement and individual negotiation. The two types of contract frequently used are the limited duration contract and the open-ended contract. There is also the temporary work contract which is used with the purpose of giving the employee a well-specified assignment. There is no maximum duration. The occasional work contract exists in the case of a specific assignment and its duration cannot exceed 6 months. The seasonal work contract is often used in the tourism sector, which is required to be updated every year at around the same fixed date. This type of contract cannot be renewed. Dismissal / layoff criteria are also very rigid compared to the employment conditions which are very flexible.

Labour Laws

Consult Doing Business Website, to obtain a summary of the labor regulations that apply to local entreprises.

Cost of Labour

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in Egypt as of 2022 is EGP 2,700 per month in the public sector and EGP 2,400 in the private sector (Egytian government).

Average Wage

The average Egyptian salary is EGP 915 per week in 2020 (Capmas, lastest available data).

Social Contributions

Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: The social insurance contribution of the employer is 18.75% of the total social insurance salary (although the country is developing a new system which will be implemented within a 15-year period and over six phases).
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: The employee contribution is 11% of the total social insurance salary.

Social Partners

Employer Associations

EBA - Egyptian businessmen's Association

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners

There are 23 trade unions (labor unions) which are represented by the ETUF (Egyptian Trade Union Federation).

Labour Unions

Egyptian Trade Union Federation

Unionisation Rate

Union membership is around 20%.

Labour Regulation Bodies

Ministry of Labor (in Arabic)