An MP has called on the government to make Bahrainis a priority in the labour market and claimed that more than 68,000 expat workers were earning from BD400 to above BD1,000.
MP Abdulwahid Qarata claimed that 20,000 expats were earning above BD1,000, while 5,000 more were taking home BD800 to BD1,000.
A total of 9,000 foreign workers were being paid BD600 to BD800, and 34,000 were earning BD400 to BD600.
He further pointed out that 62,000 expats were being paid BD200 to BD400 for doing a range of jobs, which are not generally sought after by Bahrainis.
However, the MP pointed out that the sectors occupied by the 62,000 could be restructured in future to make it more appealing to citizens.
“We want a proper revamp of the labour market in which the 62,000 jobs are also taken by Bahrainis,” said Mr Qarata.
“It is questionable statistics when the country has thousands of unemployed citizens.”
Acting Labour Minister and Legal Affairs Minister Yousif Khalaf, who earlier sent a written reply to the MP and was present during yesterday’s session, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to implementing policies and initiatives aimed at developing the labour market.
Mr Khalaf, who is also the acting Labour Market Regulatory Authority board chairman, highlighted the National Labour Market Plan (2023-2026), which focuses on fostering local and foreign investments to generate more high-value opportunities for citizens, while enhancing market regulation, oversight and legislative frameworks.
The minister reiterated that a long-term strategy was in place to create quality job opportunities for citizens.
“As per data from the Information and eGovernment Authority at the end of 2023, Bahrain’s unemployment rate stood at 6.3 per cent,” he said.
Mr Khalaf also pointed out that the ministry continues to encourage jobless Bahrainis to register to access unemployment benefits.
“First-time job seekers or those with less than 12 months of employment are eligible for allowances, which is BD150 for non-degree holders and BD200 for degree holders. It will be provided for up to nine months,” he noted. “Additionally, individuals who lose their jobs due to circumstances beyond their control are entitled to compensation at 60pc of their previous salary for up to nine months, with a maximum of BD1,000 per month.”
Mr Khalaf said the ministry was monitoring the seriousness of job seekers to ensure they are not benefiting from unemployment allowances while rejecting jobs.
“Continuous alerts are issued through e-mail and SMS, and people are struck off the unemployment insurance list if they snub repeated calls from employers to attend job interviews. They have the right to contest that decision through a grievance committee,” he added.
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