Women Make Up 53% of Graduates But Only 29% of Egypt's Workforce
Analysis of 5.4 million job applications found women received more views and interview invitations per application than men.
Women account for 53% of university graduates in Egypt but only 29% of the country's workforce, according to a new report by employment platform operator BasharSoft.
Based on an analysis of 5.4 million job applications submitted by more than 400,000 job seekers through the company's platforms in 2025, the report points to a persistent gap between educational attainment and labour market participation among women.
According to the findings, applications submitted by women received 6.2% more employer views than those submitted by men and generated 1.4% more interview invitations per application.
BasharSoft said the results suggest that structural barriers, rather than a lack of employer interest, are limiting women's participation in the labour market. Women represented 41% of job seekers on the platform in 2025 but accounted for just 29% of total applications. On average, women applied for 10.6 vacancies compared with 14 for men.
The report also found that students and fresh graduates made up 51% of female users, compared with 37% of male users. Meanwhile, professionals with managerial or extensive experience represented 45% of women on the platform and 57% of men.
Differences were also observed in salary expectations. BasharSoft found that women's expectations generally aligned with market rates, while men's expectations exceeded advertised salary ranges by as much as 12%. The study also highlighted disparities in advertised pay depending on how jobs were positioned.
Gender-neutral postings offered average monthly salaries of EGP 19,000, compared with EGP 18,000 for male-targeted roles and EGP 13,000 for female-targeted positions.
The findings come against a backdrop of a growing labour force. According to broader market data cited in the report, Egypt's labour force reached 34.15 million people in 2025, including 26.68 million men and 7.47 million women. Overall labour force participation stood at 46.2%, with male participation at 70.6% and female participation at 20.7%.
