The UAE has
one of the lowest unemployment
levels in the world, standing
at only 2.4 per cent at
the end of 2001 as a result
of high growth in the non-oil
economy and a government
drive to find jobs for citizens,
according to official estimates.
The
country's workforce was
estimated at around 2.079
million last year, of
which nearly 2.029 million
were employed, the Ministry
of Planning said in its
2002 annual report.
This
means around 50,000 people
were jobless, accounting
for about 2.4 per cent
of the total labour force
and just 1.4 per cent
of the 3.48 million population.
The
ministry said it had revised
its figures for the workforce
which it earlier estimated
at around 1.85 million
at the end of 2001.
Experts
said the revision was
apparently prompted by
drastic changes in the
labour market as thousands
of expatriates had to
leave because of new labour
policies while a large
number of nationals are
taking up jobs after reaching
the legal job age.
"Compared
to other developing or
even developed countries,
the UAE's unemployment
rate is one of the lowest
in the world," said
a UAE banker.
But
experts noted official
estimates do not include
thousands of illegal expatriate
residents who are not
registered with the Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs.
Although some of them
have part time jobs in
violation of labour laws,
many of them are unemployed.
More
than 200,000 illegal migrants,
mostly Asians, left the
UAE five years ago to
benefit from a general
amnesty ordered by President
His Highness Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan to
clean up the country from
immigration violations
and restore discipline
in the job market. Another
spardon is expected to
be announced in the next
few weeks.
Although
actual unemployment rates
might be higher, the UAE
does not have a real joblessness
given its strong economy
and a serious government
campaign to employ nationals
through the creation of
new jobs in the public
and private sectors and
replacement of expatriate
workers.
Economists
said they saw no hurdles
for such a campaign as
the non-oil economy is
growing by at least four
per cent, which is faster
than the population growth.
"This
means the UAE can cope
with the population growth
and at the same time maintain
its high per capita income
which has eroded sharply
in other countries in
the region," an expert
said.
A
breakdown by the Ministry
of Planning showed the
UAE has never suffered
from a severe unemployment
problem, with the rate
standing at only 1.9 per
cent in 1975.
It
fluctuated in the following
years but remained in
the range of one to three
per cent.
The
level is expected to be
maintained in the following
years as the government's
new labour policies focus
on employment of nationals
and deportation of unnecessary
and unqualified foreign
workers.
The
private sector will likely
play a major role in the
employment of citizens
given its massive potential
and the fact that the
public sector is saturated
and is not growing enough
to accommodate large numbers
of new jobs. |
