Significant reduction in unemployment rates in Qatar
Qatar has seen a drastic reduction in unemployment rates recently, as per the data by Qatar Statistical Authority (QSA). The economic boom in Qatar during the previous years has more than quadrupled the economically active population during the past seven years from 2001, resulting in drastic decline in unemployment rate.
The private sector of the country, dominated the labour market by employing more than three-fourths of total labour force, although an overwhelming majority of them were expatriates, said ‘Labour Force Sample Survey 2008’, prepared by the Population and Social Statistics Department of the QSA.
According to the survey, there has been considerable increase in the number of economically active population during the past eight years. The results were based on 2178 Qatari households and 2200 non-Qatari household, 1155 large labour gatherings and 571 small labour gatherings, which will help in formulating labour market policies, a QSA spokesperson said.
The labour sector was dominated by private sector, employing 78 percent of total labour force, with 99.5 percent of the employed being non-Qataris. On the other hand, the local population comprised 58 percent of labour force within government departments, while the rest 42 percent were expatriates.
Among the economically active Qataris, 29 percent constituted professionals, among which 64 percent were Qatari women and 36 percent were Qatari men.
Majority of Qatari men who were economically active were engaged in clerical occupation, constituting 25 percent, while majority of Qatari women were engaged in professional vocations, constituting 50 percent total economically active Qatari women.
The survey also confirmed that the total unemployment rate dropped to 0.3 percent in December 2008 from 3.9 percent in March 2001. The unemployment rate among Qataris was 2.4 percent, while that of non-Qatari population was 0.2 percent.
Posted on 9/11/2009