Dubai Has Lowest Unemployment Rate in the World | ExpatWoman.com
 

Dubai Has the Lowest Unemployment Rate in the World According to Survey

The results of the survey illustrate the flexibility and strength of Dubai’s economy

Posted on

20 May 2019

Last updated on 20 May 2019
by Rebecca Roberts
Dubai Has the Lowest Unemployment Rate in the World

A new government survey has released insights into unemployment rates in the emirate.

The Labour Force Survey by Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC) has revealed how just one in every 200 people are out of work in Dubai, which means only 0.5% of the population were jobless in 2018.

According to Gulf News, DSC Executive Directory Arif Al Muhairi attributes such low rates to policies that grant residency visas to employees, investors, students, and persons of equivalent status with the condition that persons of working-age will not be allowed to stay in the UAE without a job.

As expatriates, we're all familiar with the requirement to have a residency visa and sponsor in order to live in Dubai and UAE, and unless your spouse is sponsoring you - in order to secure your own, you need to be working.

The survey also displayed that the total working-age population in the emirate has reached 83.2 percent.

It also shared on 2,242,363 people were employed in the emirate last year, compared to just 10,468 people who were unemployed.

Al Muhairi said: “The results of the survey illustrate the flexibility and strength of Dubai’s economy as it continues to record the lowest rates of unemployment in the world and one of the highest rates in economic participation.”

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He added: “The Labour Force Survey is one of the key annual strategic statistical projects of the emirate. It is an important source of information for decision makers, policymakers, planners and labour market researchers.”

But Emirati unemployment rates are rising

Whilst the 0.5% unemployment rate in Dubai is the world's lowest, there has been an increase in the unemployment rate of Emiratis risiding in Dubai.

The rate increased by over one percentage point between 2016 and 2018, rising from 2.9 percent in 2016 to 3.4 percent in 2017. For 2018, it reached 4 percent. Researchers also found that 62.6 percent of Emirati men are in work, while just 36.5 percent of Emirati women are employed.

Over 3,000 households were analysed as part of the survey, half were Emirati and half were expatriates, taken across a range of different Dubai communities.

 
 

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