Women and Youth labor market outcomes during Covid19: evidence from Egypt and Jordan

In response to the onslaught of Covid-19, many countries introduced lockdowns and social distancing measures of varying stringency, with severe repercussions for labor market participants. Youth and female workers, without solid attachments to formal establishments, or with caretaker roles at home, were hit particularly hard. Governments need to enhance social protection schemes to include informal workers, to institute demand-driven reskilling and upskilling of workers for better meeting market needs, and to institute stronger incentives for the private sector to create decent jobs.