Bahrain: Employment among Bahrainis increased by 2.5 per cent in the 12 months to June this year, according to new figures released by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).
Total employment growth hit 6.5pc, with 710,296 people registered as employed in the country – 551,859 expatriates and 158,437 Bahrainis.
The number of new work visas for expatriates was up 19.8pc to 37,299, while 42,122 were renewed – a 23.4pc increase.
Meanwhile, a total of 23,919 work visas were terminated and 11,610 expatriates transferred to other jobs.
“The number of permits issued by the LMRA during the second quarter of 2015 increased to 45,827 permits in comparison to 39,3953 permits in the same quarter a year before,” said the LMRA in its Bahrain Labour Market Indicators report for the second quarter of 2015.
“The number of renewals during this quarter was 55,431 – of which 42,122 were for regular workers, 412 for investors, 169 for temporary workers and 12,728 for dependants.
Renewals
“Similar to new permits, the number of renewals increased from 46,561 in the second quarter of 2014 to 55,431 this quarter.”
According to the report, the sector with the highest number of new work permits issued was construction with a 38pc share, while 22pc were for the wholesale and retail trade sector and 12pc were for hotels and restaurants.
The average wage for Bahrainis was BD514 in the second quarter, up 1.2pc from BD508 at the same time last year.
However, those in the public sector continued to be better off – earning an average income of BD672 compared to BD385 in the private sector.
Meanwhile, it cost BD297 more to hire a Bahraini than an expatriate in the construction, trade, hotels and restaurants and small-scale manufacturing sectors, which was a BD2 decrease on the year before.
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