Dubai’s unemployment rate recorded last year is significantly lower than the global average, the Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC) announced on Wednesday, May 30.
Results of the DSC’s Labour Force Survey 2017 showed that the unemployment rate in Dubai is at 0.5 per cent, lower than those of other countries included in the survey..
Arif Al Muhairi, Executive Director of Dubai Statistics Centre, said the report showed the strength and flexibility of Dubai’s economy, reported WAM.
The total number of employed individuals in Dubai hit 2,778,000 in 2017. Of this number, the emirate’s resident workforce totaled 2,077,603 while its non-resident workforce or employees residing outside Dubai totaled over 700,000.
Survey results showed that the overall economic participation rate, or the percentage of employed people in the total working-age population, increased last year by nearly one per cent to hit 83.1 per cent from 82.2 per cent in 2016.
The economic participation rate of Emiratis rose by 3 per cent to reach 51.1 per cent. Emirati men had an economic participation rate of 65.4 per cent while the corresponding figure for Emirati women was 37.4 per cent. These high rates reflect the positive impact of government policies designed to promote gender balance and greater economic participation among its citizens.
Al Muhairi added, “The rate increased by half a percentage point, from 2.9 per cent in 2016 to 3.4 per cent in 2017. The unemployment rate of Emirati men increased by 0.6 per cent, from 2 per cent in 2016 to 2.6 per cent in 2017 while that of Emirati women increased by half a percentage point from 4.4 per cent in 2016 to 4.9 per cent in 2017, bringing the total number of unemployed Emiratis residing in Dubai to 2,851.”
The survey also broke down the total workforce in Dubai by economic activity, Results showed that 27.6 per cent of the labour force work in the construction sector, 17.9 per cent in the wholesale and retail trade sector, and 8 per cent in manufacturing.
The term ‘unemployed’ refers to an individual who is not working but is actively looking for a job. The vast majority of unemployed people in Dubai – 98.8per cent – are in the age group of 20 to 39 years.
The Labour Force Survey is one of the most important annual strategic statistical projects carried out by the Dubai Statistics Centre. It is an important information resource for developing labour market plans, policies, and indices.
