The number of jobs advertised online in the Middle East rose 14 percent in February, with Saudi Arabia offering the most opportunities to jobseekers, according to new industry figures released on Monday.
The Monster Employment Index, a monthly gauge of level of jobs posted online in the Middle-East, found education was the fastest growing sector, with 37 percent more postings year-on-year during the month of February.
The second most prosperous sector was healthcare (up 33 percent), followed by banking, financial services and insurance (up 28 percent), advertising, PR, media and entertainment (up 26 percent) and retail and trading (up 17 percent).
By comparison, oil and gas showed the biggest drop in job openings, with a decline of 21 percent. The hospitality sector had six percent less vacancies on offer, while the consumer goods sector was relatively stable; with only one percent more jobs up for grabs.
Location also appeared to be vital, with Saudi Arabia showing a 47 percent rise in jobs on offer as the government sought to increase opportunities for those in the public sector.
Oman, where unemployment was an issue during last year’s Arab Spring protests, saw the biggest decline in postings, with the number of jobs on offer down by 18 percent.
In between, the number of jobs in Egypt was up 31 percent and Kuwait was up 12 percent, while the Arab Spring took its toll on Bahrain, where job listings declined six percent, followed by Qatar (down 12 percent) and the UAE (down 13 percent).
In Saudi, hospitality professionals were apparently in demand, with an 82 percent rise in vacancies, while in the UAE education again scored highest with 19 percent more opportunities.
