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UAE: Over 500,000 new work permits issued in second quarter of 2022

5.4 million employees currently work in the private sector, says Ministry

The number of UAE-based private sector employees increased by nine percent in Q2, 2022, compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said on Wednesday in its private sector workforce report.

The number of private sector employees registered in MoHRE's database by the end of Q2 totalled 5,376,842, it added.

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. This is also in line with the government's policies and strategic initiatives that reinforce the nation's status and active role in the international economic ecosystem, which is also highlighted by numerous reports by international economic organisations."

He noted that the results reaffirm the competitiveness of the UAE's job market, "which nurtures a wealth of human resources capable of supporting the national economic diversification drive in line with the strategic growth plans."

"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.

The report revealed that MoHRE issued 537,974 new work permits during Q2, 2022, an increase of 27 per cent over Q2, 2021. On the other hand, in Q2, 2022, there was an eight per cent decrease in the cancellation of work permits, compared to Q1, 2021, amounting to 301,569 cancelled permits.

The report's findings also showed that the construction sector accounted for the largest chunk of new work permits issued by MoHRE during Q2, 2022, followed by the business services sector, the trade and repair services sector, the manufacturing sector and the hotels and restaurants sector.

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Twenty-six per cent of the total private sector workforce registered with MoHRE are in the construction sector, followed by 21 per cent in the trade and repair services sector, and 19 per cent in the business services sector.

In comparison with the results of Q2, 2021, the agriculture sector marked the largest growth in the number of new work permits issued at an increase of 70 per cent, followed by social and personal services at a growth rate of 62 per cent, the business services sector at 44 per cent and the financial intermediatory services sector at 43 per cent.