Bahrain jobless rate 'very low'
Manama, March 16, 2014
Bahrain's unemployment rate is stable at four per cent, a very low rate compared with other countries in the region, said Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan.
The kingdom's labour market is capable of providing thousands of jobs every year despite challenges, he said in a Gulf Daily News (GDN) report.
Sit-down strikes have witnessed a significant drop thanks to the kingdom's efforts to protect workers' rights and achieve labour benefits, the minister noted in the report.
The insurance against unemployment project has benefited 50,000 citizens so far, a scheme all GCC countries aspire to implement, he said.
The role of the government is not only rehabilitating and employing university graduates by shouldering half of the wage, but also providing vocational training to qualify them for the labour market.
More than 6,800 university graduates have been employed with a minimum monthly salary of BD400 ($1,055), while efforts are underway to improve salaries for those employed by the private sector, Humaidan said.
An agreement has been reached to increase wages for 23,000 Bahraini workers. Bahrain also provides about 11,800 training opportunities yearly, the minister pointed out.
The ministry has put in place a legal and control system to safeguard workers' rights, ensure social protection and maintain labour market stability, he said.
More than 98 per cent of companies abided by the summer ban on outdoor work and worksite accidents have dropped by 50 per cent over the past three years, despite a major increase in the number of workers who have joined the labour market recently.
Bahrain continues to support labour union freedom as well as dialogue between the Labour Ministry, employers and trade unions, which won it global recognition, the minister added. - TradeArabia News Service
