Workforce numbers UAE 2020, by skill

In 2020, technical and skilled workers made up most of the workforce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accounting for nearly 1.8 million employees each. In comparison, the total number of limited skill workers in the country amounted to approximately 262 thousand in that same year.

UAE labor force

According to the UAE’s most recent occupational classification scheme, over 700 current job titles shall be categorized into nine professional levels and five presented skill levels. Level One represents highly-skilled specialists, and Level Five lower-skilled employees. In terms of economic sectors, construction and wholesale-retail trade accounted for the highest number of employees across the country in 2019. Meanwhile, the UAE workforce was relatively young, with the majority aged between 25 and 39.

Female participation in the workforce

As of 2019, there were reportedly over 4.57 million male employees in the United Arab Emirates, almost nine times the number of female employees across the country that year. While the UAE had a higher female participation rate than the 2019 global average, the labor participation rate amounted to only around 50 percent for female Emiratis, compared to over 90 percent for their male counterparts.