Bayt.com Career Aspirations Surveyimg.b8cdn.com/images/uploads/article_docs/bayt... · UAE KSA...

Bayt.com Career Aspirations Surveyin the Middle East and North Africa

November 2013

PROJECT BACKGROUNDPROJECT BACKGROUNDPROJECT BACKGROUNDPROJECT BACKGROUND

Section 1

Objective

� To understand the challenges and aspirations of MENA professionals. The study covers aspects such

as perceptions and attitudes towards current job, career aspirations, barriers to career growth,

overall work environment, and personal aspirations and concerns.

Key findings

� The most important factors in job selection are salary and benefits and opportunities for career

growth. However, few working respondents rate their current job positively in terms of these two

important factors.

� Most respondents have set themselves professional goals, with a quarter having made professional

goals for the next 5 years.

� Almost half of working respondents agree that their current job is perfect for them, although more

males than females believe this to be the case. It is also apparent that older respondents are more

likely than younger respondents to state that their current job is perfect for them.

� On a positive note, the majority of working respondents claim to feel motivated in their current job.

The top two options which respondents claim would increase their motivation include higher salary

and benefits and the opportunity to express their creativity/showcase their skills.

� Common reasons given for seeking employment include the need to learn and gain experience, to

make money, and to feel useful to society.

� Lack of growth opportunities and poor management are the top two barriers faced by respondents in

terms of their career growth.

Key findings

� Overall, slightly more respondents have a positive outlook than those who have a negative outlook of

the current work environment. It is perceived that the government’s role should be to increase job

opportunities (in particular for the younger respondents), improve labor laws, create avenues for

training and career development, as well as increase salary transparency.

� Over three-quarters of respondents would consider relocating to another country for employment

purposes, with the UAE being the most preferred country for relocation.

� Most respondents intend to pursue higher education in the future, with a higher preference for

attending a university in person rather than through online learning.

� Over half of respondents claim to worry about financial issues in their daily life.

� On average, working respondents were able to save about one sixth of their income over the past

year.

� Interestingly, nearly half of those working would want to retire by the age of 60, and at least one in

ten (in the below 40 age group) would want to retire by the age of 50.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGYRESEARCH METHODOLOGYRESEARCH METHODOLOGYRESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Section 2

Sample Definition

Age and Gender:Age and Gender:Age and Gender:Age and Gender:

Adult males and females

Aged 18+ years

Nationalities:Nationalities:Nationalities:Nationalities:

GCC Arabs, North Africans, Levantines, Western Expats, Asians

Country of ResidenceCountry of ResidenceCountry of ResidenceCountry of Residence

GCC: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain

Levant: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan

North Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia

Data Collection Data Collection Data Collection Data Collection

All data was collected online. Fieldwork was done between 22 October and 5 November

2013. The total number of successful online interviews achieved was 7,445.

RESEARCH FINDINGSRESEARCH FINDINGSRESEARCH FINDINGSRESEARCH FINDINGS

Section 3

Current and preferred industries

All figures are %’s

Q. Which industry do you currently work in?

Q. Given the choice, which ONE of the following industries would you want to work in?

• Overall about 1 in 10 (13%) of working respondents currently work in the construction industry. Significantly more respondents surveyed from the GCC region (18%) than those in Levant (10%) or North Africa (9%) are currently working in construction. In particular,

there is a relatively high percentage (26%) of working respondents in Qatar currently working in construction.

• More females (18%) claim to be working in the education sector than males (5%) surveyed across all geographies.

• When asked which industry respondents would most like to work in, at an overall level, oil, gas & petrochemicals (O&G) emerges as the

most preferred sector amongst the GCC and North African respondents. Interestingly, only 5% of those working are currently employed

in the O&G sector.

Base: Base: Base: Base: Working (4717)Working (4717)Working (4717)Working (4717) Base: Base: Base: Base: Working/Students/Unemployed (7196)Working/Students/Unemployed (7196)Working/Students/Unemployed (7196)Working/Students/Unemployed (7196)

Current and preferred industries – By age




Base: Working; 18-29 (1880), 30-39 (1735), 40+ (1102) Base: Working/Students/Unemployed; 18-29 (3682), 30-39 (2153), 40+ (1361)

Current industries – By country



GCCGCCGCCGCC LevantLevantLevantLevant North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa

UAE KSA Kuwai

tOman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

nSyria Jordan Egyp

t

Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a

Base: WorkingBase: WorkingBase: WorkingBase: Working 474474474474 1021102110211021 157157157157 81818181 147147147147 60606060 165165165165 92929292 301301301301 1454145414541454 207207207207 446446446446 112112112112

Construction 16 19 16 16 26 7 12 9 9 9 5 10 4

Education /

Academia5 5 6 7 5 12 5 10 10 6 9 12 9

Advertising / Marketing / Public

Relations

3 7 4 2 2 8 5 3 5 8 3 3 6

Tourism /

Hospitality7 4 6 5 7 12 12 5 4 8 5 1 1

Banking / Finance 7 4 10 5 3 3 7 4 6 4 3 4 7

Oil, Gas &

Petrochemicals5 3 3 14 8 3 1 5 2 5 1 12 5

Medical / Health

Services3 6 3 1 5 2 5 15 7 5 2 4 5

IT 5 5 6 1 5 5 10 7 7 4 5 2 1

Industrial

manufacturing4 5 1 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 6 3 4

Consumer Goods 2 4 3 1 2 3 3 2 3 4 7 4 4

Preferred industries – By country




UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebanon Syria Jordan Egypt Morocco Algeria Tunisia

Base: Working/ Base: Working/ Base: Working/ Base: Working/

Students/Students/Students/Students/UnemployedUnemployedUnemployedUnemployed

580 1285 184 108 199 85 221 135 467 2238 663 806 225

Oil, Gas &

Petrochemicals14 12 15 25 15 8 5 4 5 17 4 16 8

Education /

Academia3 5 4 7 7 7 6 13 10 5 10 9 17

Construction 8 10 11 6 15 1 6 4 7 6 2 6 3

Banking /

Finance7 8 12 6 4 8 8 7 9 8 3 5 9

Advertising / Marketing /

Public Relations7 7 7 6 6 12 9 5 6 8 6 7 5

IT 6 6 7 3 7 6 10 9 7 6 6 4 7

Tourism /

Hospitality7 4 5 6 6 4 5 2 5 6 8 5 4

Preferred industries – By gender



• Males show highest preference for the O&G sector followed by the construction sector.

• On the other hand, females prefer the education field followed by banking and finance.

• The sectors that appeal to both genders include advertising/ marketing, IT and tourism.

• Females exhibit a greater preference for the healthcare and media sectors than males.

Base: Base: Base: Base: Working/Students/Unemployed; Males (5766), Females (1430)Working/Students/Unemployed; Males (5766), Females (1430)Working/Students/Unemployed; Males (5766), Females (1430)Working/Students/Unemployed; Males (5766), Females (1430)Base: Base: Base: Base: Working; Males (4009), Females (708)Working; Males (4009), Females (708)Working; Males (4009), Females (708)Working; Males (4009), Females (708)

Important factors in IDEAL JOB selection – By region


Q. When selecting your IDEAL JOB, which three factors would be most important to you? (Select only three from those listed below)

Base: Working/Students/Unemployed; Total: 7196, GCC:2441, Levant:823, North Africa:3932, Private:3497, Public:848

• Overall, salary and benefits and opportunities for career growth are the top two factors of importance when selecting

one’s ideal job.

• Some interesting differences by region include: opportunities for career growth is selected by more respondents in GCC, a good work-life balance is important to more respondents in North Africa, while those in Levant would want flexible work

timings.

• Opportunities for career growth is more important to those currently working in the private sector as compared those working in the public/government sector. On the other hand, a good work-life balance is important to more respondents

currently working in the public sector than the private sector.


84 78 71

62 56 43

28 30 46

21 31 31

34 28 21

20 19 24

20 18 18

14 18 20

8 12 8

5 5 10

5 5 8

Opportunities for career growth:

Private employees: 61%

Public employees: 43%

Work-life balance:

Private employees: 31%

Public employees: 37%

Some interesting differences Some interesting differences Some interesting differences Some interesting differences BY THOSE WORKING IN BY THOSE WORKING IN BY THOSE WORKING IN BY THOSE WORKING IN

PRIVATE/ PUBLIC SECTORSPRIVATE/ PUBLIC SECTORSPRIVATE/ PUBLIC SECTORSPRIVATE/ PUBLIC SECTORS

Important factors in IDEAL JOB selection – By country


Q. When selecting your IDEAL JOB, which three factors would be most important to you?

(Select only three from those listed below)


UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Qatar Bahrain Lebanon Syria Jordan Egypt Morocco Algeria Tunisi

a


Students/Students/Students/Students/UnemployedUnemployedUnemployedUnemployed

580580580580 1285128512851285 184184184184 108108108108 199199199199 85858585 221221221221 135135135135 467467467467 2238223822382238 663663663663 806806806806 225225225225

Salary and benefits 85 83 85 82 83 84 70 75 83 80 52 64 64

Opportunities for

career growth66 59 65 62 62 64 66 50 52 51 32 31 37

Work life balance 26 28 23 32 34 29 25 36 30 38 60 56 53

Feeling of

accomplishment17 24 17 16 19 16 24 43 31 26 38 38 38

Job security 36 34 33 31 32 33 24 17 33 18 30 21 19

Reputable

organization

19 20 22 21 20 21 19 20 19 27 18 20 25

Challenging work 22 18 21 21 18 22 28 13 15 15 19 23 26

Fair evaluation 12 16 14 13 15 6 20 22 15 23 12 16 16

Flexible work

timings

9 8 10 9 5 14 13 13 11 7 10 10 8

Set number of

working hours4 6 5 7 9 5 4 6 6 9 18 9 8

Manageable

workload5 5 5 5 3 6 7 4 5 5 11 13 6

Important factors in IDEAL JOB selection – By gender and age

• Interesting differences can also be seen when comparing results by gender and age. More females state that a good work-

life balance and a feeling of accomplishment are most important factors. On the other hand, opportunities for career

growth is more important for males.

GenderGenderGenderGender AgeAgeAgeAge

Total Male Female 18-29 30-39 40+

Base: Base: Base: Base: Working/Students/ Working/Students/ Working/Students/ Working/Students/ UnemployedUnemployedUnemployedUnemployed

7196719671967196 5766576657665766 1430143014301430 3682368236823682 2153215321532153 1361136113611361

Salary and benefits 76 77 73 73 80 78

Opportunities for career growth

51 52 46 51 55 43

Work-life balance 38 36 44 42 35 32

Feeling of accomplishment 28 26 33 30 24 26

Job security 26 27 23 22 28 34

Reputable organization 22 22 22 21 20 27

Challenging work 19 19 17 18 17 21

Fair evaluation 18 19 14 16 20 18

Flexible work timings 9 8 13 9 9 9

Set number of working hours

8 7 11 10 6 5

Manageable workload 6 7 5 7 6 7

Q. When selecting your IDEAL JOB, which three factors would be most important to you?

(Select only three from those listed below)


Few interesting differences by age

include:

• Young 18-29y: Greater need for feeling of accomplishment, fixed work hours, also greater importance for work life balance and opportunities for career

growth.

• Older 40+: Greater need for job security and ‘challenging work’ as

well.

• 30-39y: Seeking greater opportunities for career growth in comparison to their younger and older counterparts, also seeking ‘fair evaluation’. In some cases exhibit similar traits to the younger

group and in others the older group.

How respondents rate their current job on factors considered

important

Q. Thinking about your current job, how would you rate it on the ... factor that you selected for the IDEAL JOB?

Base: Those working and selected the factor as important for ideal job

• Respondents rate their current jobs rather poorly on factors they consider most important when selecting the ideal job, namely salary and benefits, and opportunities for career growth, with less than one third rating their current job good or

excellent on these factors. Moreover, less than 50% rate their current job positively in terms of work-life balance.

• Furthermore, almost half (46%) of the respondents rate their current job ‘poorly’ on fair evaluation.

• Jobs are rated positively on ‘manageable workload’ which is the least important factor for those surveyed.



important – By age




18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+


important – By gender




MaleMaleMaleMale FemaleFemaleFemaleFemale

Opinion of current job – By region, gender and age

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree that your current job is the perfect job for you?


• Under half (49%) of working respondents agree that their current job is perfect for them. This opinion is driven more by

males than females (only 39% of females agree on their job being perfect compared with 51% for males), and by those in

public sector (52%) compare to 48% of private sector employees.

• Significantly more of the older working group (60%) agree that their current job is perfect for them. In comparison, this

opinion is shared by fewer in the mid age group (51%) and young employees (40%).

Base: Working respondents; Total:4717 GCC: 1940, Levant:558, North Africa:2219, Male:4009, Female:708 18-29:1880, 30-39:1735, 40+:1102

Opinion of current job – By country

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree that your current job is the perfect job for you?


Base: Base: Base: Base:

WorkingWorkingWorkingWorking

474474474474

1021102110211021

157157157157

81818181

147147147147

60606060

165165165165

92929292

301301301301

1454145414541454

207207207207

446446446446

112112112112

Career aspirations

Q. Thinking about your present job and career in general, which of the following applies to you?

Base: Working respondents; Total:4717


• 63% of working respondents want a promotion and almost half (46%) state that they want to be an expert in their field.

About one in three is willing to take the risk of moving to a different area of expertise or industry to further his/ her career

– this characteristic is observed to be marginally more among females than males.

• Significantly more of the 18-29 year old age group specified that they see their current job as a training ground for a career move. Interestingly, more of the younger group plan to move to another organization (34%) than seek career progression

within the current organisation (21%).

• More of the 40+ age group (30%) feel that they have achieved all they wanted to achieve in their current organisation and

need to move to another organisation.

Career aspirations – By age


Base: Working respondents; 18-29:1880, 30-39:1735, 40+:1102


Career aspirations – By gender


Base: Working Respondents; Male:4009, Female:708


Career aspirations – By country





a


I want to work in a higher level position

59 65 66 68 61 57 65 54 67 63 58 60 58

I want to be an expert in my field

43 47 45 53 44 47 47 54 45 45 45 46 43

I am prepared to move to another area of

expertise or

department to further my career

41 41 30 36 41 37 32 29 39 32 37 28 30

I am prepared to move to another industry to

further my career

41 31 27 33 37 37 25 21 28 24 32 27 19

I see my current job as a

training ground for a career move to another

organization

26 28 29 32 35 23 29 24 28 30 26 23 29

I feel I have achieved all

I wanted to achieve in this organization and

need to move to another organization

27 27 22 31 27 35 27 23 24 28 16 15 25

I see my current job as a

training ground to progress to a career

within the organization

19 18 20 21 20 12 22 13 19 16 21 18 21

I feel I have achieved all

I wanted to achieve in my career till now

15 17 11 15 16 13 11 17 17 14 11 14 9

Perception of present job

Q. Thinking about your present job, to what extent would you agree or disagree with the following statements?


Base: Working respondents:4717

• Two-fifths agree that there are many opportunities for career advancement within their industry (41%) and that promotions

are based on a fair system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement (40%).

• However, just over a quarter (28%) agree that there are many opportunities for career advancement within their present

organization.

• Interestingly, more respondents working in the private sector (41%) than the public sector (34%) share the opinion that

promotions are based on a fair system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement.

Perception of present job – By age



Base: Working respondents; 18-29:1880, 30-39:1735, 40+:1102

18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+

Options offered by present job/career - By country





a

There are many opportunities for career advancement within my cuThere are many opportunities for career advancement within my cuThere are many opportunities for career advancement within my cuThere are many opportunities for career advancement within my current company rrent company rrent company rrent company


Strongly agree 8 10 8 11 9 12 10 9 8 10 15 13 8

Somewhat agree 19 17 15 19 19 10 21 25 17 17 16 21 20

Neutral 28 27 29 27 22 27 25 21 26 26 25 20 21

Somewhat disagree 23 22 27 27 21 23 20 21 23 24 27 23 25

Strongly disagree 22 24 21 16 29 28 25 25 27 23 17 24 26

Promotions are based on a fair system in which advancement is baPromotions are based on a fair system in which advancement is baPromotions are based on a fair system in which advancement is baPromotions are based on a fair system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement sed on individual ability or achievement sed on individual ability or achievement sed on individual ability or achievement

Strongly agree 24 21 18 17 16 20 19 15 18 27 27 28 25

Somewhat agree 17 14 16 12 17 27 23 21 20 16 18 20 19

Neutral 27 23 23 30 19 18 28 18 18 20 19 18 19



There are many opportunities for career advancement within my inThere are many opportunities for career advancement within my inThere are many opportunities for career advancement within my inThere are many opportunities for career advancement within my industry dustry dustry dustry

Strongly agree 20 20 18 26 27 23 21 11 20 16 26 18 20

Somewhat agree 27 23 22 28 18 25 27 33 22 19 22 24 24

Neutral 27 27 28 28 28 12 23 20 24 27 21 24 21



Perception of present job – By gender



Base: Working respondents; Male:4009, Female:708

Male Female

Reason for accepting current job offer – By region, gender and

age

Q. Thinking about the job you are currently in, what was the main reason for accepting the job offer?


• At least one in three in Levant and North Africa took up the job as it was the only or first job. Interestingly, nearly one in

four of those working in North Africa claim the job they took up was in an industry they desired to work in. In the GCC,

about one in five took up the job because of the financial benefits it offered.

• More of the younger age group 18-29 (39%) claim to have taken up their present job as it was the only one

available/offered.

• More respondents aged 30 years and above took up the current job because of the salary/benefits it offered.

• Significantly more males than females took their current job because of the salary/benefits offered.

RegionRegionRegionRegion GenderGenderGenderGender Age groupAge groupAge groupAge group

GCCGCCGCCGCC LevanLevanLevanLevan

tttt

N. N. N. N. AfricAfricAfricAfric

aaaa

MaleMaleMaleMale FemaleFemaleFemaleFemale 18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+

28 36 37 31 40 39 29 28

16 18 23 20 17 18 20 23

22 14 11 17 9 12 18 19

16 14 12 15 11 13 15 15

Base: Working respondents; Total:4717, GCC: 1940, Levant:558, North Africa:2219, Male:4009, Female:70818-29:1880, 30-39:1735, 40+:1102

Reason for accepting current job offer – By country

Q. Thinking about the job you are currently in, what was the main reason for accepting the job offer?



UAE KSA Kuwai

t

Oma

nQatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

n

Syri

a

Jorda

nEgypt Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a


It was the only job/ first job that I was

offered

29 28 26 21 24 23 38 28 37 34 41 44 38

It was in the industry I dreamed of joining

15 16 16 20 21 20 21 22 15 23 25 23 21

The salary/ benefits that were offered

23 20 23 23 24 23 11 13 16 13 8 6 8

The reputation of the organization

14 17 19 17 14 12 11 14 16 13 11 10 20

Level of motivation – By region, age and gender

Q. In general, how motivated

do you feel at work?


Base: Working respondents; Total:4717, GCC:1940, Levant:558, N. Africa:2219)

• On a positive note, almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents claim to feel quite or highly motivated at work, with over

two-fifths (41%) claiming to be highly motivated.

• More males (42%) than females (36%) claim to be ‘highly motivated’.

• Overall, equal percentage of those in public and private sector claim being motivated (72% each). This is only exceeded by

those who claim to be working in organizations that are related to charitable causes, at 80%.

RegionRegionRegionRegion AgeAgeAgeAge GenderGenderGenderGender

GCC Levan

tNA 18-29 30-39 40+ Male Femal

e

Base: WorkingBase: WorkingBase: WorkingBase: Working 1940194019401940 558558558558 2219221922192219 1880188018801880 1735173517351735 1102110211021102 4009400940094009 708708708708

Highly motivated 40 44 41 42 40 42 42 36

Quite motivated 31 32 33 30 32 36 32 32

Neutral 19 16 18 20 19 14 18 19

Not quite motivated

7 5 6 6 7 7 6 9

Not at all motivated

3 4 2 2 3 2 2 4

Level of motivation – By country

Q. In general, how motivated do you feel at work?



WorkingWorkingWorkingWorking

474474474474

1021102110211021

157157157157

81818181

147147147147

60606060

165165165165

92929292

301301301301

1454145414541454

207207207207

446446446446

112112112112

And what would improve motivation? – By age and gender

Q. Which of the following options would make you feel more motivated at work?


Base: Working respondents; Total:4717, 18-29:1880, 30-39:1735, 40+:1102, Male:4009, Female:708

• Increasing salary and benefits emerges as the top option to make respondents feel more motivated at work across all age

groups.

• More of the 18-29 age group selected more focus on training and learning new skills, promotion to the next level, and

positive reinforcement.

• More males (57%) than females (51%) would find greater motivation through higher salary and perks, as well as more

challenges in the work they do.

• A higher percentage of females (41%) would be motivated by additional training and new skills to further their career than

males (34%).

AgeAgeAgeAge GenderGenderGenderGender

18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+ MaleMaleMaleMale FemalFemalFemalFemal

eeee

57 58 50 57 51

45 43 43 44 41

45 44 38 43 43

40 39 33 38 37

41 35 26 34 41

30 32 31 32 26

29 30 28 29 31

20 18 13 17 20

And what would improve motivation? – By country

Q. Which of the following options would make you feel more motivated at work?



UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Qatar Bahrain Lebanon Syri

aJordan Egypt Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a


Higher salary and perks/ benefits

57 59 60 54 62 53 58 61 58 56 51 46 49

Opportunity to express my creativity/

showcase my skills

43 44 43 46 47 40 48 52 49 43 45 40 38

Better work-life balance

41 40 36 41 40 37 36 32 42 44 57 53 50

Promotion to the next level

38 42 39 33 38 37 42 28 42 40 23 27 28

More focus on training/learning

new skills

35 36 32 30 44 32 36 43 36 35 34 30 34

More challenging work

34 33 35 35 32 30 40 23 30 27 32 26 37

Recognition of my work by peers

and superiors

29 32 28 32 31 27 24 29 32 28 29 25 28

More positive reinforcement

from my supervisors

23 19 18 22 26 20 17 12 21 17 10 10 14

Reasons for seeking employment – By gender and age

Q. Listed here are reasons people have stated for seeking employment.

Please select up to three reasons that best apply to you....


Base: Working/Unemployed; Total:6749, Males:5478, Females: 1271, 18-29:3261, 30-39:2131, 40+:1357

• Almost three-quarters (72%) stated that their reason for seeking employment is to consistently learn and gain

experience.

• More respondents working in the public sector (59%) than those working in the private sector (48%) claim to seek

employment to feel useful to society.

• More respondents in Levant (47%) than the GCC region (41%) or North Africa (39%) seek employment to be financially independent. While more in North Africa (59%) than Levant (52%) or the GCC (43%) claim to seek employment to feel

useful to society.

• Some differences can be seen between genders in terms of their motivations for seeking employment. Males are more likely (61%) than females (41%) to work to make money, while more females (56%) cite the need to be financially

independent or to make use of their education (33%) than their male counterparts.

By GenderBy GenderBy GenderBy Gender By AgeBy AgeBy AgeBy Age

Males Males Males Males FemaleFemaleFemaleFemale

ssss18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+

72 73 74 74 65

61 41 54 61 60

52 55 53 51 56

37 56 42 41 39

25 33 28 24 27

16 17 17 15 15

7 6 8 5 6

Reasons for seeking employment – By country

Q. Listed here are reasons people have stated for seeking employment. Please select up to three reasons that best

apply to you....



UAE KSA Kuwai

tOman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

nSyria Jordan Egyp

t

Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a


Working/ Working/ Working/ Working/

UnemployedUnemployedUnemployedUnemployed572572572572 1222122212221222 181181181181 101101101101 196196196196 81818181 213213213213 130130130130 448448448448 2166216621662166 534534534534 704704704704 201201201201

To consistently learn and gain

experience72 73 72 77 79 69 72 75 70 76 63 68 65

To make money/ be gainfully

employed59 60 69 56 61 48 59 55 57 63 46 47 42

To feel useful to society

36 47 40 45 43 38 47 57 54 57 65 61 58

To be financially independent

44 39 41 42 41 49 50 42 47 35 49 41 53

To make use of my education

30 28 25 25 27 25 27 27 27 25 21 31 32

To meet people 16 15 11 19 13 20 14 12 17 17 16 16 21

To have a routine in life

9 8 10 12 12 12 5 2 5 5 7 8 4

Professional goals – By gender and age

Q. Have you set any professional goals for

yourself?



Males Males Males Males FemalesFemalesFemalesFemales 18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+

28 17 23 26 31

18 16 17 19 17

13 17 14 15 12

6 8 7 6 5

21 26 22 20 23

14 17 16 14 12

Base: Working/Unemployed; Total:6749, Male:5478, Female:1271, 18-29:3261, 30-39:2131, 40+: 1357

• Over three-fifths (64%) claim to have set professional goals for themselves, with about a quarter (26%) having set goals

for the next 5 years. • It appears that older respondents are planning more long-term than the younger respondents, with more of those in the

40+ age category having set themselves goals for the next 5 years (31%), compared with 23% of those between 18-29.• Furthermore, more males (28%) than females (17%) claim to have set themselves professional goals for the next 5 years.

Professional goals – By country

Q. Have you set any professional goals for yourself?



UAE KSA Kuwai

t

Oma

n

Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

n

Syri

a

Jorda

n

Egyp

t

Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a



Yes, for the next 5 years

30 30 23 28 29 30 24 19 30 24 20 28 17

Yes, for the next 2 years

24 22 22 22 20 14 20 13 19 16 11 12 16

Yes, for the next year

15 14 16 9 13 17 13 12 12 15 13 13 15

Yes, for the next 6 months

6 6 7 10 9 7 9 5 6 7 7 5 5

No I have not 15 17 15 20 18 12 20 37 20 24 30 22 32

Don’t know/ Can’t say

10 13 18 12 11 20 15 14 13 15 19 20 14

Main barriers to personal career growth – By gender and age

Q. What do you consider to be the main barriers to your personal career growth?


Base: Working/Unemployed Base; Total : 6749, Male: 5478, Female: 1271, 18-29: 3261, 30-39: 2131, 40+: 1357)


Males Males Males Males FemaleFemaleFemaleFemale

ssss18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+

39 40 39 41 37

34 22 25 39 37

26 23 23 28 27

19 20 21 20 16

17 25 29 11 5

18 20 22 18 10

16 12 14 17 16

14 11 14 14 14

9 10 8 10 10

6 6 6 5 6

4 9 5 5 4

• Overall, lack of growth opportunities and poor management within the current company emerge as the top two barrier

respondents face to their personal career growth. • More in Levant (45%) than North Africa (39%) or GCC (38%) attribute lack of growth opportunities as the main barrier to

their personal career growth. On the other hand, more in the GCC (40%) than Levant or North Africa (27%) blame poor

management within their current company.• More women (25%) list lack of experience as a personal barrier than males (17%).• Lack of experience and training is more of an issue for younger respondents, while poor management within current

company is more of an issue for those over the age of 30.

Main barriers to personal career growth – By country

Q. Which of the following are barriers you face in obtaining your career goals?



UAEUAEUAEUAE KSAKSAKSAKSA KuwaitKuwaitKuwaitKuwait OmanOmanOmanOman QatarQatarQatarQatar BahrainBahrainBahrainBahrain LebanonLebanonLebanonLebanon SyriaSyriaSyriaSyria JordanJordanJordanJordan EgypEgypEgypEgyp

tttt

MoroccoMoroccoMoroccoMorocco AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria TunisiaTunisiaTunisiaTunisia

Base: Working/Base: Working/Base: Working/Base: Working/


Lack of growth opportunities

40 38 43 43 34 42 47 47 43 39 38 36 45

Poor management

within my current company

38 43 36 31 35 35 24 27 29 31 13 27 18

Favoritism in the workplace

21 25 26 18 27 22 18 29 35 26 20 28 24

Disconnect between

my educational

qualification and my

current job profile /

lack of requisite

educational qualifications

24 20 20 26 16 15 21 16 20 21 16 13 16

Lack of experience 16 15 18 16 15 17 21 15 27 17 15 24 27

Lack of training 16 20 18 16 16 12 21 25 21 18 13 20 13

Poor labor laws 10 20 11 15 20 9 11 18 18 15 15 15 11

Lack of funding 10 10 7 13 13 5 15 22 16 14 19 16 13

Personal/social

obligations/considerations

9 10 10 7 14 5 8 12 10 10 6 8 6

Too much competition 10 4 6 9 7 7 8 5 9 5 6 4 7

Gender stereotypes in the workplace

5 4 7 4 8 7 4 5 6 5 4 7 5

Barriers faced in obtaining career goals – By gender and age



Base: Working/Unemployed; Total:7196, Male:5766, Female:1430, 18-29:3682, 30-39:2153, 40+: 1361

• Lack of opportunity, no financial support and lack of resources are the main barriers respondents face in obtaining their career goals.

• Interesting differences can be seen by age and gender:

o More younger respondents cited lack of opportunity and financial support as well as lack of knowledge and experience as barriers. On

the other hand, more older respondents specified family commitments as a barrier to meeting their career goals.

o More female respondents claimed social and cultural challenges, lack of knowledge and experience and lack of opportunity as the

main barriers in obtaining their career goals. Whilst more males opined that they lack resources and financial support to further their

career.


TotalTotalTotalTotal Males Males Males Males FemalesFemalesFemalesFemales 18181818----29292929 30303030----39393939 40+40+40+40+

No financial support 42 43 40 45 42 35

Lack of opportunity 42 40 49 43 41 39

Lack of resources 34 36 25 31 37 35

Lack of knowledge and experience 17 15 26 23 13 7

Social and cultural challenges 17 16 20 17 18 15

Family commitment 16 16 13 12 19 21

Lack of appropriate education/skills 12 11 14 14 12 7

Procrastination 11 11 11 11 12 10

Lack of confidence 11 11 11 12 10 8

Lack of support from family 8 7 10 9 6 4

Barriers faced in obtaining career goals – By country


All figures are All figures are All figures are All figures are %%%%’’’’ssss


UAEUAEUAEUAE KSAKSAKSAKSA KuwaiKuwaiKuwaiKuwai

tttt

OmaOmaOmaOma

nnnn

QataQataQataQata

rrrr

BahraiBahraiBahraiBahrai

nnnn

LebanoLebanoLebanoLebano

nnnn

SyriaSyriaSyriaSyria JordaJordaJordaJorda

nnnn

EgypEgypEgypEgyp

tttt

MoroccMoroccMoroccMorocc

oooo

AlgeriAlgeriAlgeriAlgeri

aaaa

TunisiTunisiTunisiTunisi

aaaa

Base: Working/Base: Working/Base: Working/Base: Working/UnemployedUnemployedUnemployedUnemployed

580580580580 1285128512851285 184184184184 108108108108 199199199199 85858585 221221221221 135135135135 467467467467 2238223822382238 663663663663 806806806806 225225225225

No financial support

41 41 42 38 36 32 41 53 48 42 49 41 42

Lack of opportunity

41 37 43 33 43 42 54 47 51 42 39 42 47

Lack of resources 33 33 34 28 29 12 32 51 34 35 31 33 34

Lack of knowledge and experience

14 15 17 21 15 9 14 13 18 20 13 19 17

Social and cultural challenges

14 20 19 18 14 19 14 20 19 18 12 16 14

Family commitment

18 20 21 17 23 20 10 17 19 15 10 12 10

Lack of appropriate education/skills

13 13 14 17 10 12 6 15 11 12 12 11 6

Procrastination 8 13 11 15 9 6 10 16 10 12 9 11 18

Lack of confidence 11 10 10 11 11 13 10 11 10 11 10 11 9

Lack of support from family

8 8 5 6 6 7 4 5 9 7 12 7 6

Overall opinion of work environment – By region, gender and age


Q. Overall, how happy are you with the current work environment?

• Respondents in the GCC (42%) and Levant (41%) appear to be happier with the current work environment than those in North Africa.

• More males (41%) than females (33%) have a positive outlook on the current work environment .

• Slightly more of the older age group (43% of those 40+) are happy with the current work environment than the younger age groups (40% of those 30-39

and 37% of those 18-29).

Base: All respondents; Total:7445, GCC:2518, Levant:858, North Africa:4069, Male:5901, Female:1544, 18-29:3753, 30-39:2218, 40+: 1474

Overall opinion of work environment – By country


Q. Overall, how happy are you with the current work environment?

Base

604

1323

187

112

201

91

Base

224

137

497

2327

687

822

233

Base: All respondents

The government’s role in improving working environment – By region


Q. What step/s should the government/ authorities take to improve the current working environment?

• Most respondents believe that, in order to improve the current working environment, the government should increase job

opportunities, increase salary transparency, provide training avenues, and improve labor laws.

• More respondents in North Africa and Levant select increasing job opportunities than those in the GCC. On the other hand, more in the GCC believe that increased salary transparency is required to improve the current working environment. More

respondents in the GCC believe that flexible working hours would improve the working environment.

• Further analysis indicates that increasing job opportunities appears to be a priority for younger respondents, with 69% of

those aged 18-29, compared with 55% of those 30-39, and 54% of those 40+.

• More females want increased job opportunities and child care facilities at work.

• Equal number of males and females (more than 50%) want the government to provide better avenues for training and career

development.

RegionRegionRegionRegion

GCCGCCGCCGCC LevanLevanLevanLevan

tttt

North North North North

AfricaAfricaAfricaAfrica

55 64 66

60 53 50

50 51 54

52 49 52

31 26 21

20 28 23

17 16 14

Base: All respondents; Total:7445, GCC: 2518, Levant: 858, North Africa: 4069

The government’s role in improving working environment –

By gender and age



Base: All respondents; Male:5901, Female:1544, 18-29: 3753, 30-39: 2218, 40+: 1474



Increase job opportunities 60 70 69 55 54

Increase transparency in terms of salaries within companies

56 45 51 57 55

Provide avenues for training and career development 53 52 52 54 51

Improve labor laws 54 41 49 54 54

Encourage flexible work hours 25 25 24 27 27

Provide more convenient public transport for working people

22 27 24 22 21

Encourage childcare facilities at place of work for working women

12 27 14 17 15

The government’s role in improving working environment –

By country




UAE KSA Kuwait Oma

n

Qatar Bahrain Lebanon Syria Jordan Egypt Morocco Algeria Tunisia

Base: AllBase: AllBase: AllBase: All 604604604604 1323132313231323 187187187187 112112112112 201201201201 91919191 224224224224 137137137137 497497497497 2327232723272327 687687687687 822822822822 233233233233

Increase job opportunities 59 53 57 54 49 65 75 49 62 66 72 62 67

Increase transparency in

terms of salaries within companies

62 59 64 61 56 45 54 50 53 54 43 49 39

Provide avenues for training and career development

43 53 46 61 48 48 42 58 53 58 46 52 48

Improve labor laws 44 56 50 59 53 44 46 49 51 54 50 48 49

Encourage flexible work hours

37 30 25 32 28 21 29 18 27 24 18 16 16

Provide more convenient

public transport for working people

21 20 21 17 22 19 29 24 29 27 22 16 18

Encourage childcare facilities

at place of work for working women

20 16 16 15 16 23 20 10 16 14 15 14 11

Relocating for employment purposes – By country, gender

and age

Q. Would you consider relocating to another country for employment purposes?

Q. If you could reside and work in any country, which ONE country are you most likely to choose?


UAE KSA Kuwai

t

Oman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

n

Syria Jordan Egyp

t

Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisia


Yes 62 72 61 68 72 65 79 91 84 82 82 87 86



Base: AllBase: AllBase: AllBase: All 5901590159015901 1544154415441544 3753375337533753 2218221822182218 1474147414741474

Yes 83 59 78 78 78

More in the Levant (84%) and North Africa (83%) would consider relocating than those in the GCC (68%)

More males (83%) would consider relocating but the number of females willing to do so is also quite high (59%)

Overall 78% 78% 78% 78% of respondents would consider relocating to another country for employment purposes

26% select UAE as the most preferred country they would choose to move to for employment – UAE comes top across all countries

Total (7445)Total (7445)Total (7445)Total (7445) GCC (2518)GCC (2518)GCC (2518)GCC (2518)Levant (858), N. Africa (4069)Levant (858), N. Africa (4069)Levant (858), N. Africa (4069)Levant (858), N. Africa (4069)

Males (5901)Males (5901)Males (5901)Males (5901)Females (1544)Females (1544)Females (1544)Females (1544)

Total (7445)Total (7445)Total (7445)Total (7445)

Higher education

Q. Do you intend to pursue higher education in the future?

Q. How would you like to pursue higher education in the future?


Base: (Total: 7445) Base: (Total: 7445) Base: (Total: 7445) Base: (Total: 7445)

68% 68% 68% 68% intend to pursue higher education in the future

• More respondents of those aged 18-29 (73%) than those 30-39 (69%) or 40+ (51%) plan to pursue higher education in the

future.

• There is a preference for attending the university in person rather than through online learning.

• More females (40%) than males (33%) plan to attend a university in their country of residence. Interestingly, more

males (34%) than females (25%) are considering studying through online learning.

• Fewer in the GCC region (29%) than Levant (36%) or North Africa (37%) plan to study in their country of residence.

Significantly more in the GCC (42%) plan to study online than those in North Africa (28%) or Levant (24%).

Base: (Base: (Base: (Base: (Those who intend Those who intend Those who intend Those who intend to pursue higher to pursue higher to pursue higher to pursue higher education in the futureeducation in the futureeducation in the futureeducation in the future: : : : 5031) 5031) 5031) 5031)

Higher education – By country

Q. Do you intend to pursue higher education in the future?

Q. How would you like to pursue higher education in the future?



UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Qatar Bahrain Lebanon Syria Jordan Egypt Morocco Algeria Tunisia


Intend to pursue higher education

67 71 64 78 67 68 66 62 65 65 66 77 55


UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Qatar Bahrain Lebanon Syria Jordan Egypt Morocco Algeria Tunisia

Base: Who intend Base: Who intend Base: Who intend Base: Who intend

to pursueto pursueto pursueto pursue404404404404 935935935935 119119119119 87878787 135135135135 62626262 148148148148 85858585 322322322322 1524152415241524 451451451451 632632632632 127127127127

Attend a university in

my country of residence

33 27 21 31 30 32 32 21 43 43 34 25 36

Attend a university

outside of my country of residence

20 24 19 23 16 21 25 33 29 17 27 42 22

Online learning

through a university

outside of my country of residence

20 24 31 22 29 23 22 18 11 15 14 15 15

Online learning

through a university in

my country of residence

21 18 21 13 18 15 8 15 7 14 13 8 21

Higher education – By gender and age

Q. Do you intend to pursue higher education in the future?Q. How would you like to pursue higher education in the future?




Base: AllBase: AllBase: AllBase: All 5901590159015901 1544154415441544 3753375337533753 2218221822182218 1474147414741474

Intend to pursue higher education

67 70 73 69 51



Base: Who intend to pursueBase: Who intend to pursueBase: Who intend to pursueBase: Who intend to pursue 3948394839483948 1083108310831083 2748274827482748 1524152415241524 759759759759

Attend a university in my country of residence 33 40 39 31 25

Attend a university outside of my country of residence

24 26 30 18 15

Online learning through a university outside of my country of residence

19 15 12 22 32

Online learning through a university in my country of residence

15 10 10 19 20

Retirement – By gender, age and country

Q. At what age would you like to retire?


• Nearly half of respondents would like to retire by the age of 60y.

• More than 50% among the 18-39 age groups would prefer to retire by the age of 60y and within this group at least three

in ten would want to retire by the age of 55y . A majority above 40y seem resolved to work beyond the age of 60y.

• Interestingly , about 43% females would not want to work beyond the age of 55y.


Male Female 18-29 30-39 40+

Before 50y 8 16 12 10 4

Between 50-55y 17 27 22 21 9

Between 56-60y 23 22 24 23 19

After 60y 52 36 43 47 68


UAE KSA Kuwai

tOman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

nSyria Jordan Egyp

t

Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a

Base: Base: Base: Base: Working/unemployWorking/unemployWorking/unemployWorking/unemploy

edededed

580580580580 1285128512851285 184184184184 108108108108 199199199199 85858585 221221221221 135135135135 467467467467 2238223822382238 663663663663 806806806806 225225225225

Before 50y 16 10 14 15 13 20 7 4 15 5 8 13 5

Between 50-55y 21 19 21 21 23 21 14 20 25 12 21 26 35

Between 56-60y 22 22 18 22 20 22 21 24 22 19 30 28 32

After 60y 42 49 47 42 45 36 57 52 37 64 41 33 28

Base: Working/unemployed; Total:7196, Male:5766, Female:1430, 18-29:3682, 30-39:2153, 40+:1361

Top priorities in life – By age

Q. What are your top three priorities in life?


Base: All respondents; Total:7445, 18-29: 3753, 30-39: 2218, 40+: 1474

• Successful career, financial stability and good health emerge as the top three priorities for

respondents in the MENA.

• There are some interesting

differences by age:

o The younger age group (18-29) are more likely to prioritize

successful career.

o On the other hand, more of the oldest age group (40+) prioritize financial stability, good health

and living a stress-free life.

o It is clear that there is a link between the age of respondents and their priorities, with significantly more of the youngest age group selecting finding a suitable spouse as a top priority and more of the older age groups prioritizing

spending time with their family.

Top priorities in life – By gender



Base: All respondents; Total:7445, Male:5901, Female:1544

Top priorities in life – By country




UAE KSA Kuwai

tOman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

nSyria Jorda

nEgypt Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a


Successful career 64 67 67 63 57 62 71 59 64 70 55 56 61

Financial stability/independence

64 61 67 58 60 55 61 74 70 63 50 47 59

Good health 54 53 60 46 60 54 61 39 54 50 60 56 61

Live a stress-free life

41 43 35 52 40 37 37 52 49 44 45 41 39

Spend quality time with family

40 36 32 36 45 40 27 30 19 25 23 28 30

Find a suitable spouse

9 12 10 13 9 12 13 12 19 18 29 32 17

Freedom to travel 13 11 11 16 13 15 13 26 16 14 11 19 13

Issues faced in daily life – By region

Q. Which of the following issues, do you worry about in your daily life?


Base: All respondents; Total:7445, GCC:2518, Levant:858, North Africa:4069

• Over half of respondents claim to worry

about financial issues in their daily life.

• More respondents in the Levant region (65%) than the GCC (55%) or North Africa

(46%) worry about financial issues.

• However, more in GCC worry about career

path uncertainty.

• Interestingly, more females (45%) than males (36%) claim to worry about

unemployment/loss of job.

Issues faced in daily life – By country




UAE KSA Kuwai

tOman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

nSyria Jorda

nEgypt Morocc

oAlgeria Tunisi

a


Financial issues 64 52 55 47 55 54 63 69 65 48 44 41 53

Worry about unemployment/loss of job

37 33 25 25 36 34 44 34 39 39 43 36 49

Work/life balance 35 30 28 30 31 34 33 27 24 30 20 32 25

Familial obligations

25 31 32 25 32 15 21 35 36 32 18 17 21

Career path uncertainty

37 28 29 30 28 27 32 15 22 20 18 17 18

Problems at work 20 26 20 21 19 19 21 28 23 23 18 26 18

Health 20 17 22 23 21 24 31 18 20 19 18 18 10

Family relationships and issues

21 17 19 18 20 20 12 16 14 13 10 10 9

Issues faced in daily life – By gender and age



Base: All respondents; Total:7445, Male:5901, Female:1544, 18-29:3753, 30-39:2218, 40+:1474

Savings (in past year) – By gender and age

Q. Thinking about the past year, what percentage of your income were you able to save?


Base: Working; Total: 4717, Male:4009, Female:708, 18-29:1880, 30-39:1735, 40+:1102

• On average, respondents were seen to save about one-sixth of their income in the past year.

• Respondents in the GCC and North Africa were able to save more than those in Levant.

• On average, males claimed to have saved more than females.

Age group:

•18-29 – 18%

•30-39 – 16%

•40+ – 15%


Male Femal

e

18-29 30-39 40+

None 29 36 28 31 32

Less than 10% 22 25 22 23 23

11-20% 16 15 16 16 17

21-30% 12 9 12 11 11

31-40% 7 6 8 7 6

41-50% 6 4 7 5 5

More than 50% 7 4 8 6 6

Savings (in past year) – By country

Q. Thinking about the past year, what percentage of your income were you able to save?



UAE KSA Kuwai

tOman Qatar Bahrai

n

Lebano

nSyria Jordan Egyp

t

Morocc

o

Algeri

a

Tunisi

a


None 29 26 24 22 20 23 40 51 47 30 32 26 29

Less than 10% 26 22 19 20 21 23 21 16 21 22 28 28 15

11-20% 15 17 20 20 23 15 15 10 17 15 12 16 22

21-30% 11 13 15 10 5 15 12 11 6 12 11 11 13

31-40% 9 9 4 10 7 10 5 4 5 6 6 7 7

41-50% 4 5 8 10 12 8 5 3 2 7 5 5 7

More than 50% 5 8 10 9 12 5 2 4 2 7 6 8 6

DEMOGRAPHICSDEMOGRAPHICSDEMOGRAPHICSDEMOGRAPHICS

Section 4

Demographics

A total sample of 7445 respondents was achieved

Age

•18-29 – 50%

•30-39 – 30%

•40+ – 20%

Marital Status

•Single – 50%

•Married – 47%

•Separated/ divorced – 3%

Region

•GCC – 34%

•Levant – 11%

•North Africa – 55%

Gender

•Male – 79%

•Female – 21%


Base: Total (7445)

Demographics

Working full time

Base: 4322

Male – 63%

Female –39%

18-29 – 45%

30-39 – 72%

40+ – 69%

GCC – 74%

Levant – 59%

North Africa – 48%

• The majority (58%) of respondents are currently working full time.

• Interestingly, 99% of those who are not working stated that they plan to work in the future.


Base: All respondents: 7445

Demographics

28 21

26 15

22 28

17 24

7 12

• The majority of working respondents are currently employed in the private sector (74%).

• More females than males are working in the public/government sector (24% versus 17%).

90% Employed in public/private sectorEmployed in public/private sectorEmployed in public/private sectorEmployed in public/private sector

8% SelfSelfSelfSelf----employed/ have own employed/ have own employed/ have own employed/ have own

businessbusinessbusinessbusiness

2% Work in family businessWork in family businessWork in family businessWork in family business


Base: Working: 4717

Less than a year 17

1 to 3 years 31

4 to 6 years 20

7 to 10 years 14

11 to 15 years 7

More than 15 years 9

Length of employment with current Length of employment with current Length of employment with current Length of employment with current

company:company:company:company:

Thank You

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