Bahrain Mirror: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development said that it welcomes about 7,000 to 8,000 new jobseekers every year, who are graduates of various fields, hiring them in private sector jobs. The ministry pointed out that the number of those employed is almost equal to the number of graduates. The retirement of 6 to 7 thousand Bahraini retirees each year is offset by the entry of 7,500 new jobseekers to the labor market.

The figures were revealed in a statement published by the ministry in the local Al-Bilad newspaper in response to articles written by Diaa Al-Moussawi.

The ministry said Al-Moussawi's surprise, expressed in his articles, that the Ministry of Labor and Social Development is able to employ more than 20,000 jobseekers on an annual basis is due to his failure to grasp that nearly 7,500 jobseekers are entering the labor market for the first time, and the remaining numbers are Bahraini nationals who move from one job to another to obtain better work benefits. The Ministry also works on assisting them in the recruitment process, but this is not reflected in the total national employment in the private sector due to the large number of retirees. The number of those hired are almost equal to the number of graduates, but the entry of 7,500 new jobseekers to the labor market is offset by the retirement of 6 to 7,000 Bahraini retirees per year.

It further pointed out that these data is not presented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development alone, as the process of employment goes through and is shared by several government agencies. For example, in 2016, 7,000 new jobseekers were employed in the labor market. Nonetheless, 6,923 citizens retired from the labor market, so this means the national workforce growth does not reflect the total employment process carried out by the Ministry.

The Ministry reiterated its refusal to publish the names and data of the employees, considering that this is "subject to the principle of preserving the privacy of citizens, and the non-publication of personal data".

Arabic Version