Hiring in the UAE fell by 60 per cent at the end of April compared to the previous year, with jobseekers in travel, retail and media among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, LinkedIn said.
Ali Matar, head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa emerging markets, told The National that the company had observed "an upward trend and a pattern of slow recovery in line with global trends" last month.
“We are continuing to share hesitant optimism that globally we are through the worst of hiring slumps and are starting to see hints of recovery, while cautioning that we have got a long road ahead.”
The Covid-19 pandemic, declared by the World Health Organisation on March 12, devastated the global jobs market as lockdowns and travel bans adopted to contain the public health crisis disrupted livelihoods and supply chains.
More than four fifths of workers globally live in countries affected by full or partial lockdown measures, according to a May report from the International Labour Organisation.
The labour body of the United Nations estimates that 6.7 per cent of working hours were lost globally in the second quarter of this year – the equivalent of 195 million jobs worldwide.
In the UAE, the composition of job postings underwent massive shifts during the second quarter of this year, compared to the same period a year earlier.
Some of those trends are a consequence of Covid-19, while others began before that but registered an acceleration in recent weeks, LinkedIn said.
About half of the UAE’s adult population, four million people, are members of the platform.
We were rethinking business models, which are focused on digital transformation, even before the coronavirus pandemic.
Software and IT services proved the most resilient sector, with job postings, particularly in cyber security, increasing by 66 per cent year on year.
Demand for positions in health care, especially roles such as registered nurses, general practitioners and sales representatives, grew 28 per cent, according to LinkedIn.
Corporate services roles such as business development jobs, which were on the rise before the pandemic and remained flat through the worst of the Covid-19 employment dip, were up 14 per cent year on year.
Another trend emerging in the UAE is growing demand for remote work. Before Covid-19, the country had one of the lowest remote work participation rates in the world. Ten per cent of workers in the country reported that they worked from home for one to two days per week, compared to a global average of 62 per cent, according to a 2019 survey by the International Workplace Group.
However, the share of job postings for remote work, compared to all job postings on LinkedIn, grew nearly threefold from the first week of March to the last week of May.
Sectors that remained relatively flat through the second quarter were energy and mining, consumer goods and manufacturing, which took a slight dip of 5 per cent year on year.
Finance jobs, buoyed by an increase in postings for financial services roles that offset losses in banking and insurance, were also up 1 per cent.
Some of this durability can be attributed to increased efforts to drive digital transformation at UAE employers.
The chief executive of P&O Maritime Logistics, which was re-acquired by DP World last year, said stepped-up efforts to build digital and tech-based tools to improve efficiency before the pandemic were “providing a light at the end of the tunnel”.
“We were rethinking business models, which are focused on digital transformation, even before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, and more than ever, it is even more essential to use technology to operate effectively,” Martin Helweg said.
“What we are seeing now is a continuation of industry transformation, albeit [with] the new set of global challenges we are facing.”
The hardest hit sectors have yet to witness any signs of recovery. The media and travel industries were both fast-growing sectors in the UAE before the pandemic but their upward trajectory was completely inverted in the second quarter.
Retail suffered the biggest downturn, dropping 63 per cent, with the decline most acute during the worst of the Covid-19 crisis in the UAE. Travel, mainly driven by aviation, hospitality and tourism, was down 50 per cent in the same period.
Media and communications jobs, particularly in marketing and advertising, fell by 30 per cent year on year at the end of the second quarter.
Hiring for construction, which was on the decline well before Covid-19, decline 15 per cent year on year but a pattern of recovery is beginning to emerge, according to LinkedIn.
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Naga
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
