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MENA – Job market set to improve in the next six months

22 September 2014

A third (35%) of respondents feel that business conditions across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are currently “good” or “very good”, according to the latest Consumer Confidence Index survey from job board Bayt.com.

More than half (54%) of respondents also feel that business conditions will improve in future.

Despite this positivity, 52% believe that there are few jobs available. This situation is expected to change, however, with 35% anticipating that the number of jobs in their country of residence to increase in the coming six months.

According to 35% of respondents, there are more employees in their companies now than there were six months ago, and 39% expect there to be more employees hired in the next six months.

Career satisfaction remains relatively high across the region, with 43% happy with their currently career growth opportunities. A third (33%) are happy with their current compensation; 44% are satisfied with their non-monetary benefits, and 43% are satisfied with their level of job security.

Suhail Al-Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com, commented: “On the whole, the outlook for the region is a good one. Things are certainly improving with more and more major projects materializing across the MENA region, such as the upcoming World Cup in Qatar and Expo2020 in Dubai.”

“These projects are generating more job opportunities, which is a boom for the region. They are, however, also driving up costs which is why savings are dwindling and respondents are expecting a higher cost of living in the future. Employers must take this into consideration when hiring new employees,” he added.

Respondents to the survey were from the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.