The UAE has exhibited most positive employment growth in the region, with hiring activity having grown 18 percent. The UAE has been the topmost recruiter of candidates in the Middle East region.
According to the latest Monster Employment Index for April 2016, the UAE has exhibited most positive employment growth in comparison to its neighbouring countries, with hiring activity having grown 18 percent in April 2016, in comparison to the same period a year ago.
UAE is followed by Bahrain with a modest 5 percent year-on-year growth. The other GCC nations have however, witnessed decline in the number of jobs posted online.
Kuwait was down three percent, and recorded negative growth during the month. However, the index said that online hiring in Kuwait grew in double digits from August 2015 until March 2016. It is during the months January 2016 to March 2016 that there has been 16 percent dip in online opportunities in the country.
Qatar was down 21 percent, followed by KSA down 14 percent, which exhibited steepest year-on-year decline among all cities monitored.
Speaking in this context, Sanjay Modi, the Managing Director, Monster.com (India, Middle East, South East Asia and Hong Kong) mentioned that the e-recruitment activity in April 2016 is 10 percent lower than in March 2016, and this is for the first time since January 2015 that the Monster Employment Index for Middle East has fallen below the level a year ago.
According to a recent survey by investment experts, uncertainty in GCC economy, coupled with low oil prices and lower expenditures are the main factors behind the slump. The survey also said that the finance professionals in GCC are likely to face the brunt, with banks and other financial institutes already having announced job cuts in response to the changed economic scenario, he pointed out.
But, all is not bleak, as the UAE job market has particularly performed well with strong hiring in the healthcare sector, the index findings revealed. This is the biggest generator of employment opportunities. For the third month in a row, the industry is charting steepest growth in year-on-year online hiring activity, marking 45 percent growth in April 2016.
