We can see from the Bayt.com Top Industries Survey that industries are becoming increasingly competitive amongst each other in terms of securing top talent in the MENA. The difference in percentage points between the most and least appealing industries is generally small across the board, indicating that the regional workforce is quite diverse and multifaceted. For Job seekers, the findings provide them with more direction, as to which job attributes are valued the most and which fields of work are excelling in providing them. For employers, the survey findings can be very helpful in improving talent attraction and retention practices by paying more attention to branding, workplace, and methods of securing top talent..
Key Findings
One in every two (50%) MENA professionals is considering an industry change in the next few months.
Amongst those considering an industry change, the most appealing industries include banking/finance/accounting (8%), followed by IT/internet/e-commerce, business/business consultancy, and government/civil service (all at5%).
Nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents said they are satisfied with the working hours, followed by work culture (56%), work-life balance (53%), and training and development (48%).
The top reasons for changing industries include ‘better salary’ (62%), ‘better career growth’ (40%), and ‘better work-life balance’ (28%).
The industries believed to have experienced the strongest growth in the past year include banking/ finance/ accounting (18%) and telecommunications (17%).
Among industries perceived to have the longest working hours, military/defense/police (20%), healthcare/medical services, hospitality/recreation/entertainment, and commerce/trade/retail (all14%) emerged at the top.
Data for the Bayt.com “Top Industries in the Middle East and North Africa” survey was conducted between14 February2018 and29 March2018 with3,561 respondents from the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
