Analysis Of David Sims And Kristin Monroe

Through their observations and analyses, David Sims and Kristin Monroe shed a light on the state and role of labour in the respective functioning of Greater Cairo and Beirut. Focusing on the figure of the motor scooter deliverer, Monroe analyses the various levels of interaction between the Syrian immigrant worker and Beirut, notably drawing on the concept of mobility. On a broader note, Sims dedicated a chapter of his work to the elaboration of a comprehensive portrait of labour in Cairo. In fact, Sims notes that although public institutions and formal enterprises represent a large purveyor of employment in Greater Cairo, informal labour remains the main alternative filling the gaps of a saturated labour market. Sims thus further elaborates on the symptoms of this “city out of control”. Looking more closely at the geography and demography of labour
First of all, it should be remarked that in both contexts, potential workers are facing a high level of unemployment. As Sims put it “supply for labour will continue to outstrip employers’ demand for the foreseeable future” (Sims, 224). In the case of Cairo, the formal labour markets are saturated and workers are often left with no other choice than informal work or self-employment. Likewise, Beirut’s service-led economy does not offer a wide array of opportunities for workers, especially since the Syrian civil war that heavily increased the influx of Syrian immigrants (Monroe 86). For this reason, a trade-off comes into play between employment security and the possibility of livelihood in the city. For instance, informal Cairene workers have the advantages of easy labour market access, no taxation and flexibility. On the other hand, the inconvenients are numerous with possible health hazards and additional costs (bribing, investment) to be expected (Sims 2019). Henceforth, employment security is not always assured in urban centers, as the cases