Despite the uncertain global economy, employees in the UAE and Saudi Arabia feel hopeful about getting a new career or advocating for a pay rise, promotions, or new chances in their companies in 2023.
According to data from the professional networking site LinkedIn, 74% of respondents in the United Arab Emirates and 73% of respondents in Saudi Arabia expressed confidence in landing a new position and receiving more money, a promotion, or new opportunities at work.
Even though hiring slowed down by 10.1% in December 2022 compared to the same month in 2021, this was the case.
Higher compensation was cited as the primary motivation for switching jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia (77% and 73%, respectively). Though most still prefer remote or hybrid.
More than seven in ten, or 72%, of the UAE employees polled, stated they would reject a new position or promotion if it required them to work in the office full-time instead of carrying on in the hybrid or remote work mode. This particular percentage in Saudi Arabia was 64%.
Around 81% of millennials believe that their employer is not invested in them, 65% believe they are not sufficiently motivated, and 71% believe that their wages did not require them to demonstrate higher levels of commitment. These surveyed millennials also said that they were more likely to be looking for a new job than the younger Generation Z.
Since COVID, according to Ali Matar, CEO of LinkedIn’s MENA and EMEA development cluster, professionals have become more robust.
“Despite economic uncertainty and the slowdown in hiring that has crept into the region, a sizable number of professionals are looking to either grow within their organisations or switch jobs in 2023, many of whom are motivated by the desire for higher salaries as the cost of living increases globally. Workforces clearly understand their worth in the labour market and are proactively managing their careers by acquiring new skills,” he said.
More than 22,000 professionals worldwide participated in this LinkedIn poll.