Nearly 2,500 applicants, including Bahrainis, impacted by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have registered on an online jobs portal.
The portal, talentportal.bh, aims to connect employers in the private sector with people seeking employment.
The free service was launched last month by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to help jobseekers.
“We launched this service to help workers of different nationalities affected by Covid-19, and received a good response from the public,” said LMRA chief executive Ausamah Al Absi.
“The service is out there and helps employers connect with the workers they require in their companies.”
A total of 2,433 people – including professionals in the fields of Information Technology, marketing, management, accounting, sales and others sectors – registered until yesterday.
Information
Applicants, including undocumented workers, can enter minimal personal information, including an e-mail address, with it being optional to post a resume, copies of the smart card, licence or even a photograph.
Once registered, employers can then search based on industry requirements, salary range and years of experience in order to find the best candidate.
Some of the applicants mentioned about losing their jobs due to the pandemic and looking out for new opportunities.
Mr Al Absi previously told the GDN that an average of 6,000 foreign workers lost their jobs in March and April due to the Covid-19 impact on businesses.
However, ongoing efforts by the government have ensured that a greater number of expatriate workers are being absorbed into the economy.
“The pandemic has affected employment in different countries and we are no exception with locals and migrants both being affected,” said Mr Al Absi.
“The other side of this is that coronavirus has accelerated the reforms process and when we go back there will be a multitude of services that will not be required.”
He cited a potential example of how a company in Bahrain may not require its employees to be physically present and can work from their home, or even their home country.
“The remote working trend will be tested now with technology and one doesn’t need to be physically present in the country to do his job in some fields.
“There will be a big opportunity for Bahrainis employed by international companies, while they work remotely from the country.”
MPs last month criticised the portal, claiming it violated the labour law.
They also demanded an inquiry stating that jobs are for Bahrainis and not expats, and further hindered Bahrainisation levels in the private sector.
The latest International Labour Organisation report stated in the first quarter of the year, an estimated 5.4 per cent of global working hours (equivalent to 155 million full-time jobs) were lost compared with the fourth quarter of 2019.
Working hour losses for the second quarter of 2020 relative to the last quarter of 2019 are estimated to reach 14pc worldwide (equivalent to 400m full-time jobs).
Specifically in Arab states, the projected working hour loss in the second quarter of this year is estimated 13.2pc that is equivalent to eight million full-time jobs.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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