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Announcing the Results of Dubai Manpower Survey

​Arif Almuhairi DSC CEO ​

​Arif Almuhairi DSC CEO 

​​

Dubai Statistics Center "DSC": 0.4% Dubai Unemployment Rate

 

Al-Muhairi: Dubai Continues to Score one of the Least Unemployment Rates Worldwide

 

Arif Al-Muhairi, DSC Executive Director, revealed that unemployment in the Emirate of Dubai continues to score the least rates worldwide, as the results of the Dubai Unemployment Survey for 2015 showed a stability in Dubai unemployment rates at 0.4% in 2015, while it was 0.3% in 2014. Al-Muhairi pointed out that the manpower survey is one of the most important strategic surveys DSC conducts annually in support of the policies and plans related to the labor market. He added that the survey is conducted according to the latest criteria, definitions and classifications issued by ILO.

Al-Muhairi advised that the survey showed a slight increase in the Emirati unemployment rate by 0.2% in 2015 compared to what it was in 2014, as the unemployment rate among Emirates was 2.8% in 2016, while it scored 2.6% in 2015, as the rate among male Emiratis increased by 0.5% to become 2.4% and for females by 0.2% to become 3.5%.

The Dubai Manpower Survey concerning  the age and gender structure of the employed residents in Dubai showed that 59.6% of the total employed are in the age group 25 – 39, as 58.6% of the male employees are in this age group, while the female employees in the age group 25 –39 was 64.6% of the total female employees. The same also goes for the Emirati employees, as the majority are is in the 25 – 39 age group, at the percentage of 57.3% of the total Emirati employees. 51.6% of the total male Emirati employees are in this age group, while the female Emirati employees in that age group was 66.7% out of the total employed female Emiratis.

Age and Gender Structure of Non-Emirati Manpower

Al-Muhairi stated that the professional structure of the Emiratis is different in nature than that's of the non-Emiratis and it is different as well between males and females, as the percentage of Emirati legislators, high officials and managers is 14.2%, while it is 7.0% among non-Emirati employees. The percentage of male and female high officials is almost the same.

Emirati employees are concentrated in the field of technicians and specialist assistants at the percentage of 27.0%, followed by specialized professions at the percentage of 18.6%, then office jobs at the percentage of 15.9%, followed by sales and service people at 15.4% of the total Emirati employees

On the other hand, the non-Emirati employees are concentrated in crafts, at the percentage of 23.7%, followed by sales and service people at the percentage of 17.4%, then simple primary professions at the percentage of 16.9%, then specialized professions at 12.6% of the total non-Emirati employees.

 

Employees of 15+ years of age according to gender, nationality and main professions

Dubai 2015

As regards the distribution of the employees according to the main economic activity, Al-Muhairi stated that 23.8% of the total employees work in constructions, 14.1% in wholesale and retail, 12.6% in administrative services and support services. Due to the nature of the economic activity, the survey results showed that 55.5% of the total Emirati employees work in the public administration and defense activity and compulsory social welfare. On the other hand, 24.8% of the non-Emirati employees work in the field of constructions.

Al-Muhairi pointed out that the nature of economic activities directly affect the choice of males or females to work in them, as the survey results showed that 61.6% of the total Emirati male employees wok in the field of public administration and defense activities, while the rate of Emirati female employees in this activity is 45.5%. Also, Emirati males work in the field of transportation, warehousing, wholesale and retail at the rate of 7.3% and 7.05% respectively. On the other hand, Emirati female employees work in the field of finance and insurance at the rate of 18.3% and education at the rate of 6.5%. As regards non-Emirati, their distribution according to the economic activity in which they work is completely different, as 29.3% of the male non-Emirati employees work in constructions, while more than one third of the non-Emirati female employees work for families that employ servants.

Most of Dubai employees have degrees. 30.0% of employees ae educated above high school

Al-Muhairi pointed out that there is a qualitative shift in the choice of employees in Dubai, of both males and females. The percentage of employees who have an education less than high school has dropped to 48.7% of the total employees. On the other hand, the rate of employees with scientific degrees and are educated above high school reached 30.0% of the total employees.

2. 46% of the Emirati unemployed ae youths (20 – 24 years)

Results of the survey show that all the unemployed who are willing to work or seek jobs seriously are in the age group of 20 – 39, at a percentage that exceeds 99.0%. In other words, all the unemployed are youths who fall especially in the age group of 20 - 24 years, as the percentage of the unemployed Emiratis in this age group is 46.2% of the total unemployed Emiratis, whose number is 2,154, while the percentage of unemployed non-Emiratis in the age group of 20- 24 years reached 70.9% of the total unemployed non-Emiratis whose number is 4,115.

All unemployed Emirati females have degree, as 65.7% of them have university degrees o higher

Al-Muhairi stated that the drastic transformations and changes that came upon the labor market in Dubai as regards quality, efficiency and looking for the better are not limited only to the employed, but also those who ae willing to work and those who are seeking employment, namely "the unemployed", as they must hold university degrees to compete on one hand, and to satisfy the needs of the labor market on the other hand.

The data shows that the rate of the unemployed seeking work in Dubai who hold a university degree or higher approached half, i.e. 48.3%. This is particularly clear with the unemployed Emirati females, most of whom hold a university degree or higher, as they comprise 65.7% of the total unemployed Emirati females.

 

Every economically active Emirati supports 2 persons at the most

The World Bank defines the economic support rate as the number of supported persons (children of 0 – 14 years, in addition to old people of 65+) in proportion to manpower (employed and unemployed of 15+). Supported persons are calculated for every 100 active residents.

Al-Muhairi advised that the economic support rate among Emiratis (for every 100 persons) dropped from 200.6 in 2014 to 192.0 in 2015, so the economic burden on Emiratis in manpower decreased by about 9 persons. In other words, we can say that each Emirati in the workforce supported 2.0 in 2014 from outside the workforce, while now and in 2015 they support 1.9 individuals (less than 2), meaning that there is a significant improvement in the living standard and social welfare of Emiratis in Dubai.

The rate of individual economic participation (15+) increased from 81.9% in 2014 to 82.7% in 2015

Data shows that the economic participation rates in the labor market in Dubai increased in 2015 compared to 2014, from 81.9% to 82.7%. Females had the higher share in this increase, as the rate of their economic participation increased by 3.3 percentage point in 2015 compared to what it was in 2014 (from 47.5% to 50.8%), meaning that the female participation in all fields of overall and sustainable development in Dubai has increased.

Unemployment rates are still of the lowest worldwide: 0.4% unemployment rate of Dubai residents of 15+

Unemployment rates in Dubai remained at the same level, as it was 0.4% in 2015 compared to 0.3% in 2014.

Source: DSC – Dubai 2015 Manpower Survey

 

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