Almost 9 out of 10 UAE professionals looking to change jobs

Around 86 per cent of professionals in the UAE are looking to change jobs, according to a new survey by professional networking site LinkedIn.

The number was significantly higher than the global average of 78 per cent, the survey said.

The study, which polled around 600 professionals in the country, did not specify the reason why such a large number of people are looking to change jobs.

But the survey noted that nearly 56 per cent of respondents based their decision to move on the size of the salary package offered.

Only 30 per cent of the respondents said they valued professional development while 28 per cent cited work-life balance as a motivation for changing jobs.

LinkedIn’s survey is in line with recent research which indicates a growing dissatisfaction among UAE professionals with salaries that are not keeping pace with inflation.

Earlier this year, a survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov revealed that around 50 per cent of UAE professionals were unhappy with their remuneration levels. Only 4 per cent of those polled were found to be satisfied with their income.

Recruitment group Hays also issued a report in which it said that 78 per cent of employees in the UAE are looking to change jobs this year.

Experts say that the mismatch between salaries and inflation is one of the reasons for the rise in the number of active jobseekers in the market.

The majority of residents have said that the cost of living in the UAE has risen in 2014. Around 32 per cent of them surveyed by Bayt.com said that living costs rose more than 20 per cent last year.

Inflation in the UAE too rose 4.3 per cent year-on-year in May this year while Dubai registered the highest rate of inflation since 2009 last month.