Egypt’s New Labour Law to Protect Workers’ Rights

May 5, 2025

(3 Minutes read)

Speaking at the Labour Day celebration held at the Suez Steel Company headquarters, President El-Sisi emphasised that the new legislation guarantees clear benefits for workers, reinforces principles of protection and fairness, and strengthens job security.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi officially signed Egypt’s new Labour Law, describing it as a landmark step forward in the protection of workers’ rights in Egypt.

He also highlighted the law’s emphasis on safeguarding the rights of working women, in line with international conventions and treaties. In a related development, President El-Sisi instructed the government to finalise the draft law on domestic workers.

He called for an inclusive national dialogue on the legislation to ensure proper regulation of this vital sector and to expand the social protection framework, particularly for informal and irregular labourers.

Earlier in April, Egypt’s unemployment rate fell to 6.6% in 2024, down from 7.0% in 2023, marking a 0.4 percentage point decrease compared to 2023, according to the latest data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation (CAPMAS).

Youth unemployment, covering the age group 15–29 years, also saw improvement, reaching 14.9% of the total labour force within the same age category, down by 1.0 percentage point from the previous year. Among this group, unemployment stood at 9.8% for males and 37.1% for females.

Breaking down by age groups, the unemployment rate among individuals aged 15–19 years registered at 12.2% in 2024, compared to 12.4% in 2023.