Abstract

Understanding what the labor market needs from the perspectives of employers is crucial in solving the unemployment problem in Egypt. The purpose of this study is to voice the views of employers as they describe the challenges they face in hiring within the specific sector of the textile industry in Egypt. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with eight business owners and general managers running small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the textile sector. Despite labor surplus in the country, employers speak of a serious labor shortage problem in this sector where labor is described as the number one challenge to business performance and growth. Factors identified in interviews include shortage of technical skills, low quality of learning among graduates of technical schools, employment termination due to marriage (among female workers) and the attractiveness of temporary work within the informal economy to some of these workers due to its higher pay. The study addresses issues pertaining to the culture regarding manual jobs and technical and vocational education as well as job quality and career path issues.

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Degree Name

MA in Public Policy

Graduation Date

2-1-2016

Submission Date

January 2017

First Advisor

Barsoum, Ghada

Committee Member 1

Bhuiyan, Shahjahan

Committee Member 2

Abdelhalim, Khaled

Extent

93 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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