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UAE: Looking for a new job? New LinkedIn study reveal top 3 roles recruiters want to fill
Nearly 8 out of 10 –76 per cent– of UAE professionals are looking for jobs in 2025
- PUBLISHED: Mon 20 Jan 2025, 11:43 AM UPDATED: Mon 20 Jan 2025, 7:49 PM
A new study by LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network platform, has provided new insights on the job market in the UAE, among other countries, and revealed the top three roles recruiters are looking to fill.
The survey which was released on Monday said that more than half –52 per cent– of UAE employees say that job search has become harder.
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44 per cent of professionals describe the job search process as frustrating and 43 per cent of job seekers said they're applying to more jobs than ever, but hearing back less from the employers.
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Facing these challenges, professionals in the UAE are turning to new professions and industries. Nearly 8 out of 10 –76 per cent– of UAE professionals are looking for jobs in 2025 with 53 per cent aiming to change industries.
Though the job generation has grown in the UAE in the past few years, the competition has also increased exponentially due to the inflow of more professionals into the country.
Dubai's population alone grew by more than 169,000 to reach 3.825 million at the end of last year, according to Dubai Statistics Centre. As more global companies relocate to the UAE, they're looking for skilled workers who can add value to the company and take it to the next level.
The professional network platform said a significant portion of professionals –51 per cent– struggle to maintain a positive outlook during their job search, as 56 per cent find the process time-consuming. “Despite these challenges, there is a sense of optimism among job seekers with as many as 53 per cent expressing confidence in securing new opportunities in 2025 due to their belief that the job market will improve,” it said.
“It's easy to see why job seekers are applying to more roles than ever, trying to break through the challenging job market, but it's not working. However, the views of HR professionals we surveyed show that the hiring market is healthy – so professionals need to shift their approach and be more strategic in applying for roles that match their skillset so they stand out,” said Najat Abdelhadi, career expert at LinkedIn.
Less than 50% meet the criteria
Nearly half – 53 per cent – of HR professionals surveyed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia said that the search to fill roles with qualified talent has become harder, signalling a necessary shift in the way people will need to apply for – and land – a job in 2025.
Interestingly, hiring managers are also finding the process increasingly challenging as 19 per cent are spending between 3-5 hours a day sifting through applications, with 77 per cent saying that less than half of the job applications they receive meet the criteria listed.
This comes as no surprise as nearly half of all professionals (45 per cent) wish they had a more efficient way of assessing if they're a match for a job and a significant portion, 32 per cent, state that they apply for jobs regardless of how many of the requirements they are a match for.
Top 3 roles
LinkedIn listed media buyers, artificial engineers and real estate consultants as the top three roles that are on the rise in the UAE.
Others are sustainability managers, sales development representatives, tax managers, process engineers, development specialists, financial private client advisors and machine learning engineers.
The study was conducted by Censuswide between November 27 to December 16, 2024, among 22,010 consumer respondents, and among 8,035 global HR professionals between November 28 to December 18, 2024. Markets included the UK, USA, France, Germany, India, Spain, Brazil, Ireland, the Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, Indonesia, and Italy.
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