Jobs in Egypt

Facts about the Egyptian Job Market

The unemployment rate was 10.3% as of 2006, according to Index Mundi. Twenty percent of the population is below the poverty line.

According to the CIA.gov website, the workforce is split (as of 2001) as follows:

• 32% agriculture
• 17% industry
• 51% services

Some of the most popular agriculture products include: cotton, rice, wheat, corn, water buffalo, sheep, and goats.

Popular industries include: textiles, food processing, tourism, pharmaceuticals, cement, and metals, also according to the CIA's site.

It's relatively inexpensive to live in Egypt, so take that into consideration while you're looking for a job.

Need salary information? Visit PayScale.com to find out the median salary for different jobs, the median salary based on years of experience, and median by employer type (hospitals are best!).

Finding Jobs in Egypt

Finding jobs in foreign countries is possible simply by going online, though you will have much better results in Egypt if you have the opportunity to find a job through word of mouth. They operate greatly on the "who you know" principle, rarely listing any want ads.

If you'd prefer to keep to yourself most days, working in Egypt may not be for you. To find a job, you have to network, network, network. As mentioned earlier, jobs are usually advertised via word of mouth.

Print up some business cards with English on one side and Arabic on the other; prepare to hand them out at every opportunity. Also be prepared to receive dozens of business cards. This is how you'll probably find your next job once you're in the country. A good place for entrepreneurs to network in Egypt is the American Chamber of Commerce.

Here are a few sites to browse through, though:

• Jobs in Egypt—the name says it all. This website is dedicated to locating jobs within Egypt only. Utilzing this site can streamline the whole job-seeking process for you if you're looking for a job in a specific location. You can even set up an to get daily job alerts if there's anything posted that matches your criteria.

• Jobs Abroad has some listings for jobs in Egypt. The site often lists teaching jobs, and additinal opportunities are posted frequently.

Working in Egypt

Ideally, you'll have a job lined up ahead of time. If you can, that means you're more likely to be paid in foreign currency rather than Egyptian guinay. Being paid in guinay will be a huge salary cut from what you could earn in foreign currency.

Transitions Abroad demonstrates this concept by saying that working for an Egyptian-funded nongovernmental organization will earn a measly $750/month at the most. A teacher, however, could earn $25,000-$45,000/year. As Transitions Abroad points out, though, typical Egyptian salaries can still allow for a comfortable lifestyle since the cost of living is low in the country.

Moving to Egypt

There's more to moving to Egypt than finding a job, of course. You need to know about schools, what the cities are like, and more. For more information about the little things that matter when you move to a new country, visit ExpatExchange.

At ExpatExchange, you'll be able to find school reviews, financial advice, city profiles, and even what it's like to have a baby there.

Word of Caution

Searching for jobs online can be dangerous no matter where you'd like to find a job. When you're looking for a job overseas, it's easier to fall into the trap of giving information out to people who don’t actually need or deserve it (scammers). Before giving out any personal information, thoroughly research any of the companies that contact you, or companies you wish to contact through their job listings.