News Desk |
Comparing the numbers of population in Q1 of 2019 with the same period last year, the results show an increase in the total population of about 76 thousand people. Males have increased by 2.7% compared to Q1 of 2018, while females have increased in Q1 of 2019 by 3.1% compared to the same quarter in 2018.
The number of salaried workers in the Qatari market increased from 2,088,149 workers in Q4, 2018 to 2,144,324 workers in Q1, 2019 accounting for 85.3% males versus 14.7% females. The average monthly wage of salaried workers reached QR 11,184, accounting for QR 11,613 for males, compared to QR 10,190 for females.
The results would significantly and directly contribute to shaping human and economic development plans which are part of Qatar’s National Vision that Qatar is seeking to implement by 2030.
The number of job seekers in Qatar, according to ILO definition, reached 2,189 people in Q1, 2019, accounting for 44.1% were males and 55.9% were females. The unemployment rate settled at 0.1% from Q1, 2018 to Q1, 2019. According to gender, the rate reached 0.1% for males versus 0.4% for females during Q1, 2019.
The unemployment rate for Qataris reached 0.2%, of which 0.2% were males and 0.3% females. The highest unemployment rates of the total unemployed in the age group (15-24 years) were recorded and reached 0.4% in Q4, 2019.
Labor Force Survey Crucial for Qatar
The State of Qatar is one of the leading countries that attach great importance to the implementation of Labor Force Survey on a regular basis, and allocate for this purpose budgets and efforts in order to provide a comprehensive statistics system for the economically active population as a basis to monitor trends and changes in the labor market.
This system is further a base for the provision and analysis of the state’s macro-economic policies, as well as employment and unemployment indicators which are used as a general index on the economic performance of the state. The data provided by the labor force survey implemented by Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) is considered a rich material for many analytical studies related to labor market, unemployment and wages in Qatar. Perhaps the most important of these studies are those related to changes in the population’s economic structure from one period to another.
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The results would significantly and directly contribute to shaping human and economic development plans which are part of Qatar’s National Vision that Qatar is seeking to implement by 2030.
Qatar’s National Vision 2030: An Attempt to Diversify Qatar’s Economy
Qatar’s National Development Strategy is a crucial part of its development plan – Qatar National Vision 2030. The central theme of the Vision 2030 revolves around four pillars; economic advancement, social development, human security and environmental sustainability. The idea is to set up annual goals that are in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030.
Through an organized and fully-functional bureaucratic structure and enforcement mechanisms in place, Qatar has successfully reached its goals for the National Development Strategy (2011-2016) and is currently focused on its second National Development Strategy (2018-2022) that is primarily to focus on the diversification of Qatar’s economy through its energy, industry, financial and tourism sectors.
Qatar is offering 100 per cent ownership to foreign investors for developing projects in Qatar that has drastically increased foreign flow of capital into Qatar.
Qatar’s previous reliance on oil exports due to its obligations under OPEC had caused hindrance in its attempt to diversify its economy that could have been largely benefited from its natural gas resources. However, since the 2017 Saudi-led blockade, Qatar is now focusing on an independent economic policy that is shifting away from its oil-exporting economy. In addition to that, Qatar has invested $5 billion in various industrialization projects.
Tourism and communication sectors are essentially at the helm of Qatar’s development strategy and vision 2030. However, a current account deficit is expected to remain in place due to the trade imbalance caused due to increasing imports for World Cup 2022 that Qatar is set to host. This deficit is likely to balance out once the projects related to World Cup are culminated. At present Qatar is building seven state-of-the-art football stadiums to host the biggest football events in the world.
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar is expected to expand its horizons with the addition of latest fleets and services. The transportation/communication sector is expected to boom further in the years to come. Moreover, the present modernization project of Qatar’s Hamad International Airport is expected to bring the latest technologies to the airport services that are expected to target an easy hassle-free day-today airport management and customer service experience. Presently, in its second phase, the Smart Airport Project is bringing facial recognition, automated luggage drop-in, digitized passenger records to its upcoming non-physically expanded airport.
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The Qatar Investment Authority and Qatar National Bank are aiming at increasing foreign reserves by attracting more foreign capital into Qatar. Various subsidies have been introduced for foreign investors with the development of new Exchange Traded Funds and various regulations that have made it easy for foreign economies to invest in Qatar.
Qatar is offering 100 per cent ownership to foreign investors for developing projects in Qatar that has drastically increased foreign flow of capital into Qatar. According to reports, 46 new companies have invested in various projects in Qatar since the reforms in laws for investment. In addition to that, Qatar is currently negotiating the addition of Qatari companies in the MSCI emerging market to diversify the experience of local companies in the international markets.
Qatar’s top-10 ranking among global competitive economies is itself an evidence of Qatar’s rapid development in the economic development sector since the Saudi led blockade in 2017 for alleged support to terrorism; a claim Qatar firmly denies, and its stable alliance with Iran.
55,000 Skilled and Semi-skilled Labors Sent to Qatar from Pakistan
Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development have sent as many as 55,000 skilled and semi-skilled workforces to Qatar for prospective job opportunities in construction and other sectors since 2015.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) of the United Nations (UN) welcomed Qatar’s step towards its long-term commitment to reform the country’s labor laws.Â
Qatar had announced to hire 100,000 Pakistan’s workforce in 2015 according to the ministry’s official sources. They said around 10,000 Pakistanis preceded to Qatar for various job opportunities in 2016 and 2017. However, the sources said, as many as 20,000 workers were sent to Qatar during the last year.
Qatar’s Labor Laws – A Work in Progress
Qatar is also working to develop its labor laws in line with its international labor laws commitments. Various international organizations have been extremely varying of Qatar’s treatment of its labor workers predominately migrant workers from different countries. It has been reported that three work-related deaths have occurred of workers engaged in construction projects.
Qatari authorities have however ensured that Qatar is underway significant labor reforms and that it will reach its goal in no time. The government issued a statement in February stating Qatar’s commitment to reform its labor laws is “a journey and not an end in itself” in a response to Amnesty International’s call for immediate action. A report published by Amnesty International claimed that migrant workers were being pushed in doing labor work.
“Far from seeing time as running out, the Government of the State of Qatar understands further change is needed and we remain committed to developing these changes as quickly as possible, while ensuring they are effective and appropriate for our labour market conditions,” the Qatari government responded in its statement.
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In 2018, Qatari government was lauded for its amendments in laws pertaining to residency of the migrant workers that allowed them to exit the country without having to apply for an exit visa. The International Labor Organization (ILO) of the United Nations (UN) welcomed Qatar’s step towards its long-term commitment to reform the country’s labor laws.
Secretary-General of the World Cup 2022 organizing committee, Hassan al-Thawadi, welcoming UN’s response reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to work on unethical recruitment practices.”Unethical recruitment is a global issue and an area many countries struggle to manage. All too often, the very people who have left their home to provide for their families are the ones exploited,” he said.