IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/jjlobr/v1y2012i1p21-42.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Females’ Off-the-Job Search Methods in Egypt: Formal versus Informal Search Methods

Author

Listed:
  • Somaya Ahmed Aly Abdel-Mowla

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate females’ off-the-job search strategies in the Egyptian labor market. The study analyzes differences between males’ and females’ search strategies and examines determinants of unemployed females’ choice of search methods. The study responds to the gap in the empirical literature with respect to the in-depth study of job search methods in Egypt. Females were hit more than males when the public employment guarantee came to an end as they were dependent for decades on this policy. This resulted in an increase in female unemployment and decline in female labor force participation which negatively affects females’ economic participation and opportunity. The study uses data from the Egypt Labor Market Survey of 2006. A comparative descriptive approach is used to analyze differences between males’ and females’ search methods. Determinants of females’ search strategies are examined with logistic regression analysis. It is found that informal search methods are the most important methods for both males and females. The second most important method is registering at a public employment office, which is more important for females than for males. Formal search methods other than registering at public employment offices depend on contacting employers directly. Nongovernmental labor market intermediaries still play a limited role. Transforming to a market-oriented economy has not been accompanied with the necessary transformation in labor market institutions. Females’ search strategies are less diversified than males’ strategies, especially when registering at public employment offices are excluded from search methods. Around one-tenth of unemployed females depend only on public employment offices. There is a need to strengthen the role of private formal labor market intermediaries. Examining determinants of job search strategies shows that personal characteristics, household characteristics, and labor market conditions have significant effects on females’ search strategies. Job search strategies of more educated females and females living in regions where unemployment is high, are more diversified. There is no significant effect of wealth on using informal methods for all groups—whether poor or rich have their own social networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Somaya Ahmed Aly Abdel-Mowla, 2012. "Females’ Off-the-Job Search Methods in Egypt: Formal versus Informal Search Methods," Jindal Journal of Business Research, , vol. 1(1), pages 21-42, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jjlobr:v:1:y:2012:i:1:p:21-42
    DOI: 10.1177/227868211200100103
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/227868211200100103
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/227868211200100103?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Manos Antoninis, 2004. "The wage effects from the use of personal contacts as hiring channels," Development and Comp Systems 0409044, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Holzer, Harry J, 1988. "Search Method Use by Unemployed Youth," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(1), pages 1-20, January.
    3. Manos Antoninis, 2004. "The wage effects from the use of personal contacts as hiring channels," CSAE Working Paper Series 2004-03, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    4. Ronald W. McQuaid & Colin Lindsay, 2005. "The Concept of Employability," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 42(2), pages 197-219, February.
    5. John T. Addison & Pedro Portugal, 2002. "Job search methods and outcomes," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 54(3), pages 505-533, July.
    6. Andrea Weber & Helmut Mahringer, 2008. "Choice and success of job search methods," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 153-178, August.
    7. Manos Antoninis, 2004. "The wage effects from the use of personal contacts as hiring channels," Economics Series Working Papers WPS/2004-03, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    8. Silke Woltermann, 2002. "Job-Search Methods and Labor Market Transitions in a Segmented Economy - Some Empirical Evidence From Brazil," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 088, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    9. P. Taylor, Mark & Böheim, René, 2001. "Job search methods, intensity and success in Britain in the 1990s," ISER Working Paper Series 2001-07, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    10. Gregg, Paul & Wadsworth, Jonathan, 1996. "How Effective Are State Employment Agencies? Jobcentre Use and Job Matching in Britain," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 58(3), pages 443-467, August.
    11. Ronald McQuaid, 2006. "Job search success and employability in local labor markets," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 40(2), pages 407-421, June.
    12. Ponzo, Michela & Scoppa, Vincenzo, 2008. "The Use of Informal Networks in Italian Labor Markets: Efficiency or Favoritisms?," MPRA Paper 11764, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Wahba, Jackline & Zenou, Yves, 2005. "Density, social networks and job search methods: Theory and application to Egypt," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 443-473, December.
    14. Natalia Smirnova, 2003. "Job Search Behavior of Unemployed in Russia," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2003-629, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    15. Assaad, Ragu & El-Hamidi, Fatma & Ahmed, Akhter U., 2000. "The determinants of employment status in Egypt," FCND briefs 88, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. repec:zbw:bofitp:2003_013 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Kucel, Aleksander & Byrne, Delma, 2008. "Are Over-educated People Insiders or Outsiders? A Case of Job Search Methods and Over-education in UK," Papers WP258, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    18. Bergin, Adele, 2009. "Job Mobility in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 40(1), pages 15-47.
    19. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    20. Lindeboom, Maarten & van Ours, Jan C & Renes, Gusta, 1994. "Matching Employers and Workers: An Empirical Analysis on the Effectiveness of Search," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 45-67, January.
    21. Paolo Sestito & Eliana Viviano, 2011. "Reservation Wages: Explaining Some Puzzling Regional Patterns," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 25(1), pages 63-88, March.
    22. Koning, Pierre & Berg, Gerard J. van den & Ridder, Geert, 1997. "A structural analysis of job search methods and subsequent wages," Serie Research Memoranda 0036, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    23. Osberg, Lars, 1993. "Fishing in Different Pools: Job Search Strategies and Job-Finding Success in Canada in the Early 1980s," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 11(2), pages 348-386, April.
    24. repec:ilo:ilowps:374124 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:zbw:bofitp:2003_013 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Fougère, Denis & Pradel, Jacqueline & Roger, Muriel, 2009. "Does the public employment service affect search effort and outcomes?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(7), pages 846-869, October.
    3. Andrea Weber & Helmut Mahringer, 2008. "Choice and success of job search methods," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 153-178, August.
    4. Markova Kseniya & Roshchin Sergey, "undated". "Choice among Different Job Search Channels. The Evidence from Russian Labor Market," EERC Working Paper Series 04-05e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    5. Stephan Thomsen & Mick Wittich, 2009. "Which one to choose? New evidence on the choice and success of job search methods," FEMM Working Papers 09022, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Faculty of Economics and Management.
    6. Andrea Morescalchi, 2016. "The Puzzle Of Job Search And Housing Tenure: A Reconciliation Of Theory And Empirical Evidence," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 288-312, March.
    7. Andrea Morescalchi, 2021. "A new career in a new town. Job search methods and regional mobility of unemployed workers," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 20(2), pages 223-272, May.
    8. Rainer Eppel & Helmut Mahringer & Andrea Weber, 2014. "Job Search Behaviour and Job Search Success of the Unemployed," WIFO Working Papers 471, WIFO.
    9. David Carroll & Massimiliano Tani, 2015. "Job search as a determinant of graduate over-education: evidence from Australia," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 631-644, October.
    10. Natalia Smirnova, 2003. "Job Search Behavior of Unemployed in Russia," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2003-629, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    11. Ronald Bachmann & Daniel Baumgarten, 2013. "How do the unemployed search for a job? – Evidence from the EU Labour Force Survey," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-25, December.
    12. Frijters, Paul & Shields, Michael A. & Wheatley Price, Stephen, 2003. "Immigrant Job Search in the UK: Evidence from Panel Data," IZA Discussion Papers 902, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Battu, Harminder & Seaman, Paul & Zenou, Yves, 2011. "Job contact networks and the ethnic minorities," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 48-56, January.
    14. Denis Fougère & Jacqueline Pradel & Muriel Roger, 2005. "Does Job-Search Assistance Affect Search Effort and Outcomes ? A Microeconometric Analysis of Public Versus Private Search Methods," Working Papers 2005-33, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    15. Moundir LASSASSI, 2020. "Job seekers’ search intensity in Algeria: Does gender matter?," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 52, pages 59-81.
    16. Michele Mosca & Francesco Pastore, 2009. "Wage Effects of Recruitment Methods: The Case of the Italian Social Service Sector," AIEL Series in Labour Economics, in: Marco Musella & Sergio Destefanis (ed.), Paid and Unpaid Labour in the Social Economy. An International Perspective, edition 1, chapter 8, pages 115-141, AIEL - Associazione Italiana Economisti del Lavoro.
    17. Rainer Eppel & Helmut Mahringer, 2019. "Getting a lot out of a little bit of work? The effects of marginal employment during unemployment," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(2), pages 381-408, May.
    18. Christian Holzner & Makoto Watanabe, 2015. "Labor Market Equilibrium with Public Employment Agency," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 15-017/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    19. Etienne Campens & Solenne Tanguy, 2005. "The market for job placement : a model of head-hunters," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques v06027, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    20. Colin Green, 2012. "Short Term Gain, Long Term Pain," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 337-352, September.
    21. Santos, Miguel, 2010. "From Training to Labour Market. Holocletic Model," MPRA Paper 26617, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:jjlobr:v:1:y:2012:i:1:p:21-42. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.