UAE leads region as jobs surge by a quarter

The UAE registered a 26 per cent surge in online job opportunities, the most notable growth year-on-year among all monitored countries by the Monster Employment Index Middle East index.

This is the third positive growth in succession following 14 months of slump. The UAE also registered a marginal 1 per cent growth from June 2014 and was the only country to witness a positive growth on the month.

Overall, the Middle East index registered an 11 per cent growth in online recruitment activity, year-on-year.

Year-on-year, the UAE’s banking and financial services industry (BFSI) led all industry sectors yet again with a 40 per cent y-o-y growth in the number of jobs advertised online in July this year. Online recruitment contracted the most in Advertising, Market Research, Public Relations, Media and Entertainment sectors, according to the index.

“Online recruitment as per the Monster Employment Index is significantly above that in the corresponding period a year ago. However, the growth momentum this month is the lowest since September 2013,” said Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com (India, Middle East, South East Asia and Hong Kong).

“The growth impetus in the region this year has been primarily driven by growth in BFSI; retail/trade and logistics; hospitality; and also the healthcare sector. The UAE continued an upward trend, with a 26 per cent year-on-year growth,” Modi added.

Purchase, logistics, and supply chain professionals registered a dramatic 71 per cent growth in demand in the UAE, and topped the long-term growth chart.

Regionally, seven of the 13 industry sectors monitored by the Index exhibited improved annual growth trends this month, with chemicals, plastic, rubber, paints, fertilizer, pesticides (up 30 per cent) witnessing the steepest growth in online recruitment, year-on-.

“Saudi Arabia edged up by 8 per cent between July 2013 and 2014 with advertising, market research, public relations, media and entertainment charting the steepest annual growth among all industry sectors. While the Oil and Gas industry is showing a notable annual decline, the sales and business development professionals continue to lead the way in terms of long-term growth,” said Modi.

Hospitality (up 29 per cent) saw annual growth momentum ease 19 percentage points between June and July 2014. Nevertheless, online recruitment in the sector is significantly above the year-ago level. The group ranked second for the top by the way of long-term growth rate. The sector saw fewer opportunities on the month, down by 13 percent having charted steep growth the previous month.

There has been significant growth in retail/trade and logistics sector as well from the year-ago. The group witnessed a 10 percentage point’s improvement in the pace of long-term growth; from 17 per cent in June to 27 per cent in July. It is notable however that online recruitment in the sector has eased much from the six month level (i.e. January 2014). 

IT and telecom/ISP (down 1 per cent) saw fewer opportunities on the year for the first time since July 2013. The index reading for the sector has hovered below the baseline since March 2014.

Online recruitment in production/manufacturing, automotive and ancillary (down 5 percent) continues to be lower than the level attained in the corresponding period the previous year. The sector has been charting incessant negative annual growth rates since November 2012. In the Oil and Gas sector, online recruitment matched the year-ago level.

Online recruitment in consumer goods/FMCG, food & packaged food, home appliance, garments/ textiles/ leather, gems & jewellery dropped 20 per cent from July 2013; the steepest decline among all monitored industry sectors.

Online demand expanded in nine of the eleven occupation groups monitored by the Index.

Hospitality and travel (up 38 per cent) charted steep growth in online demand between July 2013 and 2014. Despite moderation in pace, demand for the group has been the highest in terms of year-on-year growth.

Purchase / logistics / supply chain registered a sharp 23 per cent growth in demand year-on-year following low levels since December 2013. The group ranked among top five in the long-term growth ladder. The group also saw a positive growth in demand on the month for the first time since February 2014. The Index reading for the series, nevertheless, continues to remain below the baseline of 100. 

Year-on-year, software, hardware, and telecom (up 1 per cent) has exhibited only marginal growth in demand. The sector which exhibited double-digit annual growth rates from September 2013 until April 2014 saw the rate of long term-growth ease to a one-digit level in May 2013. Online demand for the group has stayed close to the year-ago level since then.

Healthcare (up 20 per cent); and engineering and production (up 12 per cent) aside all occupation groups monitored by the Index saw the rate of growth of long-term demand ease between June and July 2014.

Legal (down 3 per cent); and customer service (down 8 per cent) are the only groups to exhibit a negative annual growth. It is notable, while customer service continues to chart the steepest annual decline among all occupation groups, the growth momentum has improved from a negative 29 per cent in June 2014 to a negative 8 per cent in July 2014.

Qatar was the only country to exhibit a negative annual growth even in July. Recruitment trend worsened further as available opportunities slipped down by 8 per cent from the year-ago level from a negative 5 per cent in June 2014.
 

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