The Salary Illusion : How Early Paychecks Trap Egyptian Workers in a Cycle of Debt and Survival

There is a peculiar ritual that plays out across Egypt roughly four times a year - before Eid al-Fitr , Eid al-Adha, and often before Coptic Christmas or the start of the school year. The government announces that it will disburse monthly salaries “early.” A cascade of notifications lights up the screens of 4.5 million public sector employees and, by extension, the private sector workers whose…