Companies intend to hire more next year

Dubai: Organisations in the UAE are expected to hire more staff and grant another round of 5 per cent increase next year, Mercer has predicted.

“Salary increase for UAE employees in 2014 will remain close to this year’s figure at around 5 per cent. It suggests an increase in long-term incentives in the region, with pay-outs that occur over a longer period of time and which emphasise sustained performance and employee retention,” Mercer’s report noted.

Among the companies polled, 68 per cent said they intend to increase their payroll size, compared to 60 per cent in 2012. The labour market also appears to be more dynamic, with voluntary turnover exceeding last year’s figures, about 12 per cent of full-time employees.

“Overall, multinational organisations with operations in the UAE still perceive the country as a key growth region. This is exemplified by the fact that organisations intend to hire more staff over the coming year as well as the fact that voluntary turnover is higher than it used to be last year,” said Nuno Gomes, Mercer’s Information Solutions leader for the Middle East.