The number of UAE-based private sector employees increased by nine percent in Q2 2022, compared to the same period last year.
In accordance with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization’s (MoHRE) report on the private sector workforce, there were 5,376,842 private sector workers who had registered in the MoHRE database as of the end of the second quarter.
In Q2 2022, the ministry issued 537,974 new work permits, a 27% increase over the compared to the same period in 2021. In contrast, the number of work permits that were cancelled in Q2 2022 decreased by 8% as compared to the same quarter the previous year, totaling 301,569 cancelled permits.
The majority of new work permits issued by the ministry during the second quarter of 2022 were issued to the construction industry, which was followed by the business services, trade and repair, manufacturing, and hotels and restaurants sectors. Construction accounts for 26% of the entire private sector employment that has been registered with the ministry, followed by trade and repair services with 21% and business services with 19%.
The number of new work permits issued in the agricultural industry increased by 70% compared to Q2 2021, followed by the social and personal services sector at a growth rate of 62 %, the business services sector at 44%, and the financial intermediation services sector at 43%. Khalil Al Khoori, acting under-secretary for human resources affairs at MoHRE, said, “The increase in the private sector workforce is aligned to the remarkable growth of the UAE’s economy.”
“The increase in the total private sector workforce reflects the UAE’s job market’s attractiveness as a global destination for capabilities and expertise. We’ll keep enhancing the legislative framework of the job market with a focus on protecting the rights of employees and employers alike,” he said.