Online job postings up in UAE and Qatar but Saudi falls

The amount of job ads posted online in the Middle East has declined by six per cent on the year in November, according to an index compiled by jobs website Monster.com.

Online ads for jobs in Saudi Arabia fell by 26 per cent fell in November compared with the same month last year. Ali Jarekji / Reuters

The amount of job adverts posted online in the Middle East has declined by 6 per cent on the year in November, according to an index compiled by the jobs website Monster.com.

"Employers across the Middle East continue to adopt a cautious approach owing to current global economic conditions," said Sanjay Modi, a managing director at Monster.com.

While online job postings increased in the UAE, and Qatar leads the way in terms of growth, internet job adverts declined drastically in Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Gulf's biggest economy.

In the UAE, the amount of jobs posted online rose 8 per cent. In Qatar, which is gearing up for a construction boom prior to the 2020 Fifa World Cup, the amount of online adverts rose 24 per cent.

In the UAE, strong demand for labour in hospitality, retail and logistics buoyed online recruitment, as the country's non-oil economy continued its recovery on the back of tourism and trade.

Online advertisements for jobs in retail, trade and logistics increased 45 per cent on the year in November, the biggest jump in any industry in any country. Hospitality positions were advertised 27 per cent more.

The adverts for jobs in Saudi Arabia on internet sites declined by 26 per cent, the Monster index revealed.

Experts believe that the decline is due to the restrictions placed on foreign employees, who would disproportionately be targeted by online recruitment, as the kingdom hopes to reduce endemic unemployment among the young in particular.

Saudi Arabia's budget has more than doubled since 2006 as the government is seeking to reduce unemployment that keeps about a quarter of the population between the ages of 20 and 30 out of work.

Saudi's online job seekers will also have felt the repercussions of a region wide decline in the chemicals and plastics industries, as the amount of adverts for jobs in this sector dropped by 19 per cent.

In spite of high oil prices, the amount of vacancies in the oil and gas sector posted on to job sites also declined year on year, dropping 9 per cent.