Economically active expat population in Qatar falls 1.6% in Q2

Economically active expatriate population in Qatar fell 1.6% in the second quarter (Q2) compared to the first quarter of 2016 as total population declined, according to the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS).
Total population declined about 2% in Q2 compared to the previous quarter with the female population declining faster at more than 5% against the males’ 0.8%.
“Lower total population in Q2, 2016 resulted in a decline of economically active population – where the number fell by 30,000 – all of them are non-Qataris,” MDPS said in its Labour Force survey for Q2, 2016.
Nevertheless, total population increased year-on-year in Q2, 2016 with male population expanding more than 9%; even as female population declined about 2%.
Economically active population among locals grew by a marginal 0.2% during the period in review. The survey indicated that the economic participation of the population aged 15 years and above stood at 89.1% with the male proportion at 96.6% and female at 58.3%.
According to the same data, population aged 25 to 34 years represented the highest rate of economic participation at 94.7%, followed by 35-44 years at 93.84%; 45-54 years at 90.47%; more than 55 years at 73.94% and 15-24 years at 70.86%.
The results indicate that the economic participation rate of Qataris reached 52.3% of the total Qatari population aged 15 years and above, with 68.4% for Qatari males and 36.8% for Qatari females of the total Qatari labour force.
The number of salaried workers in the Qatari market decreased from 2mn workers in the first quarter of 2016 to 1.97mn in the second quarter. The average monthly wage of salaried workers reached QR10,356, with males’ salaries accounting for QR10,747 and QR9,317 for females.
The number of job seekers in Qatar, according to the International Labour Organisation definition, reached 3,923 in the second quarter of this year, of which 1,135 were males and 2,158 were females. The unemployment rate settled at mere 0.2% in the second quarter of this year.
Of the total 3,293 unemployed, as many as 1,588, or more than 48%, had been jobless for less than seven months; 1,476 (45%) had no employment for seven months to one year and mere 229 (7%) were unemployed for more than 13 months.
The highest unemployment rates were recorded in the age group 15 to 24 years with its ratio at 0.7% in the second quarter.
According to the gender basis, the unemployment rate among males stood at 0.1% compared to a bit higher 0.9% among females.
The unemployment rate among Qataris stood at 0.7%, of which males constituted 0.3% and females comprised 0.4%; it said, adding among the total Qataris unemployed, more than 46% of them indicated their willingness to work in the private sector.