Amid news of new laws and funds aiming to kickstart entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates, the Labor Ministry announced record growth in employment for 2014.
Boasting 10 percent growth since 2013, the employment rate is at the highest in 44 years, with 4,417,000 individuals employed, official news agency WAM reported this week.
The construction sector topped the list of major employers in the UAE, with 1,500,000 laborers, who make up about 34 percent of total employment. Business was a close second, with 1,050,000 workers who account for 24 percent of total employment. The industrial sector rounded out the top three, with 500,000 workers who account for 12 percent of the total workforce. Combined, these three sectors tally 70 percent of total employment in the country.
Humaid Rashid bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, assistant undersecretary of labor affairs, told official news agency WAM that first and second-class skill level employment boasted the highest percentage in terms of increase in the number of workers (14 percent), a fact that he took to mean that the UAE is "heading towards attracting talent and expertise in specialised and technical professions."
In addition, Suwaidi said that the market saw increased mobility, in terms of the number of laborers who switched employers last year. The new transfer system, which was implemented in 2011, was credited with this change in mobility.