Unemployment rate among Emiratis hits 13%

Wednesday, 12 January 2011 12:27 PM

JOB STATS: For Emiratis between 15 and 24, joblessness was estimated at a significantly higher 23.1 percent

The unemployment rate among Emiratis in the UAE has reached almost 13 percent, the latest figures from FNC’s health, labour and social affairs committee show.

The National reported that the figure was part of a report from the committee analyzing the activities of the Federal Authority for Human Resources.

The report showed particularly high levels of joblessness among women and younger people, despite Emiratis dominating public sector jobs.

The report defined “unemployment” as being over 15-years-old and not currently working or looking for work.

Overall unemployment in the northern emirates stood at 16.6 percent, with a slightly lower figure among Emiratis in the southern emirates of 11.6 percent.

For Emiratis between 15 and 24, joblessness was estimated at a significantly higher 23.1 percent.

Despite what is perceived to be the high level of national employment in the public sector, the report said the federal government must employ more.

Emiratis held 69 percent of federal jobs in 2006, but that figure had declined to 54.5 percent in 2008, the paper said.

The rate had increased to 60.9 percent by April 2010, but the FNC said that was an insufficient rise. Muddying the problem is the discrepancy between salaries at local government level and those at the federal level. Local government salaries can be up to 54 percent higher than those in the federal government, the report said.

The committee also said women needed better maternity leave options and that 100 federal entities still lacked workplace nurseries, which are mandated by law.

Recently, government officials have been calling on locals to join the private sector instead of opting for government jobs, which are traditionally favoured by national graduates.

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Posted by: Khalid Thursday, 13 January 2011 10:01 AM[UAE] - Bahrain

I hear the globalization story here and there and agree that 15-20ish, you should be studying. I also think at some stage that self-reliance is the name of the game. Lessening the dependency on the state for benefits will actually make people think twice about the value of anything. And that anything means you need to earn money to get it.

There is no point harping on unemployment if there is no drive - because of lucrative benefits that at the end of the day - that don't see you needing to work out of urgency or family support. The rest, is all economics and we know the story.

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Posted by: millicent Wednesday, 12 January 2011 7:49 PM[UAE] - UAE/UK

Anyhow between 15 and 23 they should be studying. It is a young nation and all talents are needed and this you learn through studies and I believe you have really a large choice these days.
Some studies are hard but others are fun depending on your personality! of course if they want to do like the previous generation, earn money easy, this will not happen now because there is no expansion like in previous years, you now have to be very qualified to have the good jobs, Emirati or not. Do you think the big boys like Al Ghurair, Al Futaim will leave their companies in the hands of unqualified graduates? NO, because they are top businessmen and recognize talent. I think one should explain this to the young ones. Get educated and you will have prestigious jobs even in the private sector but this will come by studying.

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Posted by: ZeTallGerman Wednesday, 12 January 2011 4:47 PM[UAE] - United Arab Emirates

I do recall recently reading an article about this (I think it was in connection with the challenge of Emiratisation) and one must also consider the percentage of those who do not WANT to work. This article had interviewed some young Emiratis who did just this: not wanting to take an 8-hour a day, 5 or 6 days a week private sector job with lower pay and less public holidays, so they waited for a secure public sector job. And we cannot blame them for doing so! As long as the rift between private & public sector is so great, and as long as expectations in the private sector are too high, this preference will prevail.

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Unemployment rate among Emiratis hits 13%

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