Employment increased in Q2: Bahrain

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Employment among Bahrainis and expats increased at the end of the second quarter of this year, according to latest market indicators published by a government watchdog on its website.

More work permits were issued during the above period, and there was an overall increase in economic activity, said the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).

A total of 563,332 foreign workers found employment by the end of Q2 2022, with non-Bahraini employment increasing by an annual rate of 5.5 per cent, compared to 534,091 workers in Q2 2021.

The latest statistics put the employment among Bahrainis at 161,430 workers at the end of Q2 2022 representing an annual growth rate of 3.6pc compared to 155,747 workers in Q2 2021.

The total number of new permits issued by LMRA during Q2 2022 was 50,519 – 41,093 (employment), 1,594 (investors) and 7,832 (dependents).

The total number of permits issued during Q1 2021 was 37,698.

“The share of small organisations, employing less than 10 workers, seeking employment work permits was 45.4pc of total new employment work permits issued during Q2 2022,” said the LMRA.

The highest number of new work permits continues to be issued for the construction sector (30.2pc), followed by wholesale and retail trade sector (18.5pc), and accommodation and food service activities (13.7pc).

A total of 2,091 new economic units were registered during Q2 2022 including 81 hotels, 156 in the construction sector and 144 listed under ‘health and social work’.

Meanwhile, the indicators revealed that 724,762 people, including 563,332 expats, found employment in the public and private sectors during Q2 2022.

This was against 689,838, including 534,091 expats, in Q2 2021.

The private sector continued to be the main generator of employment with 591,447 individuals recruited (111,965 Bahrainis and 479,482 expats) during Q2 2022.

In the public sector 58,419 people were employed, including 49,465 citizens and 8,954 expats.

The data also showed that 74,896 domestic workers were registered with the LMRA, a majority of them from the Philippines (20,472), followed by India (19,558) and Ethiopia (9,559 ).

The total number of new visas for household workers during Q2 2022 reached 7,538.

The indicators showed 781 expats who earned less than BD50 newly registered with the Social Insurance Organisation.

Meanwhile, the average wage for Bahrainis for Q2 2022 was BD559, compared with BD553 in Q2 2021 – an increase by 1.1pc.

Employees in the public sector were better off, earning an average income of BD733 compared with BD462 in the private sector.