Governance quality and the labor market in the MENA region post-Arab Spring

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of governance quality on total unemployment in general and female unemployment in particular in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, comparing the post-Arab Spring period to the pre-Arab Spring era.

Design/methodology/approach

A fixed-effects model was used to analyze data from 15 MENA countries from 2002 to 2019.

Findings

Our results generally indicate that following the Arab Spring, an enhancement in governance quality is linked with a reduction in unemployment in the MENA region, specifically in the Levant and GCC regions, with this reducing effect being stronger for female unemployment compared to total unemployment. Yet, this trend does not hold in North Africa, where government improvements do not result in better employment.

Originality/value

This study uniquely uncovers the different effects of governance quality on unemployment across sub-regions and sheds light on its significant implications on female unemployment. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers interested in the relationship between governance quality and economic outcomes in the region.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-12-2022-0826

Citation

Fakih, A., El Chaar, J., El Arissy, J. and Kassab, S.Z. (2024), "Governance quality and the labor market in the MENA region post-Arab Spring", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-12-2022-0826