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LABOUR MARKET
Mohammad Shihab, Managing Director, Maersk Saudi Arabia
UAE LABOUR MARKET PICKS UP Robert Half’s 2021 UAE Salary Guide reveals latest salary, benefit and hiring trends for more than 130 positions
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obert Half, the world’s first and largest specialised staffing firm, has announced the launch of its 2021 UAE Salary Guide providing indepth data-driven insights into recruitment trends across the Emirates. According to the Salary Guide, based on data from the recruitment firm’s latest national survey of wages and benefits, employers are primarily concerned with retaining talent while salaries across the UAE
are expected to remain under significant pressure in 2021. Current UAE Salary & Bonus ‘Snapshot’ Consistent with other international markets , the impacts of the current pandemic on remuneration packages aren’t uniform across all UAE industries. Even during periods of rising unemployment, Robert Half’s latest data shows that a majority of companies (73%) are offering remuneration packages that meet or exceed
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pre-pandemic numbers. Almost five-in-ten senior managers surveyed (47%) said salaries have held steady since the spread of COVID-19 began, and nearly 3-in-10 respondents (26%) actually noted an increase in base compensation for key roles spanning Accounting & Finance, Financial Services, Technology and HR/Admin. Bonuses are still being paid this year. A little over half the managers surveyed (52%) are making payments that either meet or exceed their pre-COV-
ID-19 equivalents, whilst 38% are offering less, year-on-year. “Employees are a company’s most valuable asset for navigating both short-term disruption and achieving longterm growth,” said Gareth El Mettouri, Associate Director, Robert Half Middle East, in launching the 2021 UAE Salary Guide. “Workers have been stretched to the limit during the pandemic, often putting in longer hours, taking on additional responsibilities, acquiring new skills and using recent months to reassess their career priorities. Professionals are much savvier about the market value of their skills and current salary trends than before. Employers should research compensation trends regularly, be prepared to move quickly and negotiate effectively in order to retain key employees or hire promising talent.” WWW.CBNME.COM
