Corona Pandemic and Social Safety Systems of Informal Economy

Summary

The paper addresses aspects of the damage caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic to work areas, particularly informal work, and ways and programs to achieve social/economic safety for the working groups. The paper is divided into three axes: In the first axis, the paper introduces a brief presentation of the most prominent repercussions of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Egyptian economy; then an analysis of the consequences of the pandemic on the labor market in Egypt, in terms of inflation rates and wages; and indicators of the deterioration of the labor market and the increase in unemployment, especially among informal workers in the service, retail, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors. In the second axis, the paper sheds light on the poverty rates, and the damages inflicted on the informal sector in particular. Then the paper moves to discuss the most important means of support and “rescue” offered by international institutions in this regard.