MUSCAT: Hiring activity in the Sultanate surged in 2021 and will continue to pick up in 2022, as the country is significantly recovering from the COVID-19 economic crisis, according to a new analysis by recruitment specialist Cooper Fitch. 

Overall the employment levels in Oman have posted a 12% growth rate in 2021 compared to the previous years. The report also showed that the overall job creation across the region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, jumped by 40 percent in the last quarter of 2021. Among the GCC states, Saydi Arabia topped the hiring charts at 21%, while Oman came second at 12, followed by Kuwait (11%), Bahrain (9 %), Qatar (8 %) and UAE (6%). 

“The GCC looks set for a positive employment year in 2022 with each country focused on delivering against their medium and long-term strategies around job creation,” the report said. 

There are about 50,000 jobseekers in Oman by the end of 2021. In an earlier interview, His Excellency Professor Mahad Bin Said Bin Ali Baawain had said 40,000 Omanis were employed in both public and private sector in 2021.