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Wage and labor mobility between public, formal private and informal private sectors in Egypt

Author

Listed:
  • Mostafa Shahen

    (School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology)

  • Koji Kotani

    (School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology)

  • Makoto Kakinaka

    (Hiroshima University)

Abstract

Wage and labor between public and private sectors are main factors in economies. In developing countries, the private sector is divided into formal and informal private sectors. Little research has addressed temporal changes in wage and labor among public, formal private and informal private sectors within a single framework. We study the temporal wage gap, labor mobility and the impact of changing employment sectors on wages by Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition and difference-in-difference (DID) methods with the Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey data from 1998 to 2012. The decomposition shows that the wage gap between public and formal (informal) private sectors has remained strong where education, age and working experience are driving forces. The DID method shows that the percentages and wage losses of movers to the informal private sector from the formal private sector are much higher and more significant than that from the public sector. In summary, Egyptian private sector employees face a high risk to unwillingly fall into and stay in the informal private sector, while the highly educated ones are attracted only to and stay long in the public sector. These results can be considered the obstacles for further economic growth and stability of Egyptian economy, which shall be the case in other developing and Arab countries with a sizable public sector. In this case, the government may need to restructure wage systems, employment practices and cultures, considering a balance with private sectors as well as providing people with incentive schemes and education to nurture (formalize) the formal (informal) private sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Mostafa Shahen & Koji Kotani & Makoto Kakinaka, 2019. "Wage and labor mobility between public, formal private and informal private sectors in Egypt," Working Papers SDES-2019-4, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised May 2019.
    • Handle: RePEc:kch:wpaper:sdes-2019-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Philippe Adair & Shireen AlAzzawi & Vladimir Hlasny, 2024. "Fostering decent jobs, formalising informal employment and spurring job mobility in MENA countries," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 53(2), July.
    3. Philippe Adair & Vladimir Hlasny & Mariem Omrani & Kareem Sharabi Rosshandler, 2022. "Fostering social businesses and formalising the informal economy in MENA countries," Erudite Working Paper 2022-03, Erudite.
    4. Shireen AlAzzawi & Vladimir Hlasny, 2020. "Vulnerable employment of Egyptian, Jordanian, and Tunisian youth: Trends and determinants," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-166, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Philippe Adair & Vladimir Hlasny, 2023. "Fostering Decent Jobs in MENA Countries: Segmented Employment, Occupational Mobility and Formalising Informality," Erudite Working Paper 2023-02, Erudite.
    6. Philippe Adair & Vladimir Hlasny, 2022. "Labour Market Segmentation and Formalising Informality in MENA Countries," Erudite Working Paper 2022-07, Erudite.
    7. Dmytro Osiichuk, 2022. "The Driver of Workplace Alienation or the Cost of Effective Stewardship? The Consequences of Wage Gap for Corporate Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-26, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage gap; public sector; formal private sector; informal private sector; Oaxaca- Blinder method;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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