A recent Bayt.com "Top Industries in the Middle East and North Africa" survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGov, a research and consulting organization, has shown that respondents in Lebanon consider the banking and finance industry to be the most preferable for employment. Banking and finance careers also rank highly as they show most growth potential, while women are predominantly interested in banking and finance.
In Lebanon,34% of employed respondents are satisfied with the salary package in their current industry, while41% are satisfied with their ability to maintain a good work-life balance. They are also generally content with the potential for career growth (with39% being satisfied); job security (47%); working hours (57%); and training and development opportunities (41%).60% are happy with their current work culture, which shows that the Lebanon work environment is a happy one.
The best salary packages in Lebanon are perceived to be in banking and finance (26%). Banking and finance jobs are seen as being the best for maintaining a good work-life balance (42%), followed by government (28%) and education and academia (27%). Banking and finance offers the best potential for career growth according to the majority of respondents (40%), with IT, electronics and telecommunications coming second (25%). The highest levels of job security are seen to be in banking and finance (47%), though there is also a perceived high degree of security in government (38%), and military, defence, police and security services (32%).
Respondents believe that the most stressful industries are military, defence, police and security services (30%), healthcare related services (22%) and advertising, media, PR, market research and publishing (22%). Hospitality is considered to have the longest working hours, by a third of respondents (36%).
Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com, said: “It’s easier than ever before to find jobs in different industries. On Bayt.com we currently have an average of10,000 vacancies every day across industries, job roles, and career levels. In addition to posted jobs, there is a universe of hidden jobs, where employers fill thousands of unadvertised vacancies using the Bayt.com CV Search leading technology. Besides posting their CVs, Bayt.com professionals can now showcase their skills, merits and interests on the Bayt.com Specialties platform which supports a constant career dialogue and a wealth of opportunity to be recognized by potential employers, clients and peers in the industry. There are over80,000 specialties on Bayt.com Specialties today growing rapidly due to the popularity and depth of Bayt.com's unique new value proposition and we see this new realm for career advancement as the new frontier of recruitment and certainly the definition of where the vanguard of the online recruitment business is today."
Women in Lebanon are most attracted to banking and finance according to49% of respondents, followed by education and academia (45%), and advertising, media, PR, market research and publishing (43%). Local talent is seen to be drawn predominantly to banking and finance jobs (37%), advertising, media, PR, market research and publishing (35%) and IT, electronics and telecommunications (28%).
In the past year, respondents believe that the banking and finance industry has seen the strongest growth (42%), followed by construction (27%), and advertising, media, PR, market research and publishing (24%).
According to40% of Lebanon respondents, the government is a favorable employer. A fifth of Lebanon respondents (22%) have changed the industry they work in in the last24 months, with45% considering an industry change in the next few years. Advertising, media, PR, market research and publishing is the industry of choice for15%, though management consulting (10%) jobs are also popular. The top reasons for career changes are perceived better salaries (74%), career growth opportunities (47%), and better benefits (38%). Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov, said: “Within Lebanon, it is very clear which industry is the most preferable, though interestingly the majority of regional respondents are keen to find employment in the IT, electronics and telecommunications industry rather than in oil, gas and petrochemicals.”
Data for the Bayt.com “Top Industries in the Middle East and North Africa” survey was collected online from November18-25,2013, with7,370 respondents aged18+, representing Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, KSA, Syria, Tunisia, and the UAE.