The latest Job Index survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one jobsite, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation, has shown that more than half of the region’s employers (53%) are either ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hiring in the next three months. The same holds true for employers in the UAE; 53% will ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hire in the next three months, while 29% will ‘definitely’ hire within a year. The majority of jobs across the region, both in the next three months and in a year’s time, will come from multinationals or large local companies.

“It is interesting to note that there is a healthy expectancy for the number of available jobs to increase in the coming quarter and in the next 12 months. That most of these will come from multinational companies – 34% of which are looking to hire in the next three months, and 35% in a year’s time – is proof that such establishments provide a significant source of employment in the region. This suggests that making conditions more favourable for such companies will prove even more beneficial to the Middle East’s economic and employment situation” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales at Bayt.com. “Bayt.com conducts in-depth surveys to establish the factors that affect employers and job seekers across the region. Based on this information, we develop unique applications on our job site to provide the best possible recruitment environment for all involved.”

Availability of Jobs
Of those companies in the Middle East looking to hire in the next three months, most (45%) will have less than five positions available. Roughly a quarter (24%) will have up to 10 jobs available. The most sought-after employees will be those at a junior executive level (36%), followed by executives (30%), coordinators (26%) and senior executives (25%).

In the UAE, 44% of companies will be hiring for less than five jobs, and 22% will have up to 10 positions available.

Qualifications
The region’s most desirable graduate/post graduate qualification is in Business Management, according to 25% of the survey’s respondents. This is closely followed by Engineering (24%), Commerce (22%) and Computer Science (21%).

Job seekers in the UAE will have the best chance of being hired with qualifications in Engineering (27%), Business Management (22%) or Commerce (20%).

Skills and Experience
50% of employers across the Middle East are looking for candidates who are cooperative, helpful and flexible team players, and who have good communication skills in English and Arabic (50%). The most desirable experience is managerial, with the ability to manage a team (37%), followed by computer skills (32%).

UAE-based employers also value the same skills (49% look for team player qualities; 48% want good communicators). They also search for candidates with managerial experience (35%) mid-level experience of 3 to 7 years (27%) and engineering experience (27%).

Country and Industry Attractiveness
Across the region, respondents are almost equally split in their opinion on the attractiveness of their current country of residence in comparison to other Middle Eastern countries. Four in ten (39%) find their current country of residence to be ‘slightly less’ or ‘much less’ attractive, while three in ten (32%) claim that where they live is ‘much more’ or ‘slightly more’ attractive than the alternatives.

Residents in the UAE are most happy, with 43% finding it much more attractive than other countries in the region, followed by residents in KSA and Qatar (each with 40% believing the same).

In terms of industry, the majority of respondents (41%) are content with their current sector, while 25% state that it is equally attractive to others. The belief is that the industries that attract and retain the top talent in the region are Banking and Finance (34%), Telecommunications (33%) and Construction (31%).

The three most attractive industries in the UAE are Banking and Finance (34%); Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (32%) and Telecommunications (27%)

“Though there seems to be a general level of contentment with current countries of residence and industries, it would appear that there is the potential for more people than ever to consider their options elsewhere in the region,” said Sundip Chahal, CEO at YouGov. “Job seekers and students would do well to look at those industries and skills that are held in most high regard, as becoming qualified within those areas will increase their possibilities for employment within the Middle East.”

Data for the Bayt.com Job Index August 2012 HR survey was collected online from July 26 to August 26, 2012. Results are reported on a base of 5,999 respondents. Countries that participated are UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Pakistan.