The latest Middle East Job Index Survey, compiled by the Middle East’s leading job site, Bayt.com, and research and consulting group, YouGov, has revealed that many employers are planning to hire soon within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In Lebanon, in particular, nearly eight in10 employers (79%) are planning to hire the year ahead.
Hiring intentions in the next three and next12 months
Within the next three months, over half (55%) of Lebanese employers said that they are “definitely” or “probably” going to hire. Among Lebanese companies that plan to hire within the next three months, a third (33%) are going to hire for “Junior Executive” roles, followed by28% who intend to hire a “Manager”, and25% who intend to hire an “Executive”. Most respondents in Lebanon also said they are looking to hire “Sales Executives” (23%), while19% said they want to hire “Sales Managers”.
When looking at which industries are hiring in the MENA region over the next three months, more than two thirds (67%) of organizations in the Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment industry and Human Resources industry are planning to hire, making them the industries with the highest hiring potential. This is followed closely by organizations in Business Consultancy/ Business Management industries (57%).
Private sector companies have the highest intention to hire in the next three months, with54% of large local companies,52% of multinational companies and51% of other private sector companies, ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hiring.
Looking at future hiring expectations,79% of employers in Lebanon claim that they intend to hire in a year’s time. Private-sector companies continue to have the highest hiring intentions in a year’s time, with69% of large local companies,69% of other private sector companies, and68% of multinational companies saying that they will be ‘definitely hiring’ or ‘probably hiring’.
From those surveyed,71% of respondents in Lebanon claim that their company has hired new employees in the past12 months.
“The hiring forecast in Lebanon is looking very promising, with79% of Lebanese employers planning to hire in a year’s time and55% planning to hire within three months,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “It is also worth mentioning that31% of those planning to hire predict having at least five vacancies to fill in the next3 months. These responses come as no surprise to us: there are currently more than10,000 jobs posted on Bayt.com. We will continue to work closely with the region’s employers to help them find their talent. We will also continue empowering and supporting job seekers who are going to make use of these new and exciting job vacancies.”
Qualifications, skills and experience in demand by employers
In terms of academic qualification, a large number of employers in Lebanon are looking for “Business Management” Graduates or Post Graduates (39%), followed by “Administrative” Qualifications (21%) and “IT” (20%).
In terms of experience,38% of Lebanese employers are looking for candidates with “managerial experience”,27% are looking for “sales and marketing experience”, and another23% are looking for candidates with “administrative experience”.
The industries that have emerged as the ones attracting the top talent in Lebanon include: Banking/Finance (50%), Advertising/Marketing /Public Relations (42%), IT/Internet/E-commerce (30%) and Real Estate/Construction/Property Development (28%).
Masri adds: “We encourage organizations looking to hire to use features on Bayt.com such as CV Search and Job Postings, which can help meet their pressing hiring needs and ensure that they fill their vacancies as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.”
“We look at hiring expectancy throughout the MENA region as it can serve as a positive reflection on the economy. When looking at the MENA job market, the private sector has highlighted that they are planning to offer a large number of employment options in the next few months and the year ahead. It is also important to have the insights on which skills, academic qualifications, and experience levels are in highest demand. Job seekers can plan accordingly,” said Arleen Gonsalves, Associate Research Manager, YouGov.
Data for the Bayt.com Middle East Job Index survey was collected online between December4th,2016 and January22nd,2017. Results are based on a sample of3,107 respondents from the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Pakistan.