National Trends

2023 Salary Guide

The rising cost of living and tight hiring market is putting pressure on UAE business leaders to make competitive offers.

Salaries remain stable despite the rising cost of living

With fuel prices increased dramatically since January and rents increasing at the fastest rate in eight years, moving to the UAE as an expat is not as appealing as it once was
While businesses are unwilling to increase salaries beyond current levels, some are making changes to overall packages
Despite this, Dubai is losing its competitive edge, and businesses will have to fight harder to attract expat talent

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of expats would consider leaving the UAE due to the rising cost of living

Promoting from within becomes the norm

Rather than hiring new talent into the business at the most senior levels, many organisations are promoting from within
As candidate supply does not meet business demand in the UAE, career progression opportunities can help to retain highly skilled employees
However, opportunities for senior professionals are limited – but the market is booming for junior and mid-level candidates

The benefits of employee training in an organisation

Employees report an increase in company leavers

More than half of employees have noted an increase in colleagues leaving their company, corresponding with a decrease in employee satisfaction
However, businesses are hiring to fill both vacated roles and newly created roles, as confidence in the economy increases

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of employees have noticed an increase in colleagues leaving the business

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of workers say that the number of people joining the business has increased

Hire talent

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More leavers expected in 2023

Why are employees looking for new jobs?

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Need a higher salary to meet obligations56%
Lack of employee benefits37%
Lack of career progression or training36%
Poor or uncompetitive pay29%

More than a quarter (28%) of employees are planning to look for a new job before the end of the year
With a tight hiring market, employers should beware a potential exodus during 2023, as 46 per cent of workers are considering a change

The three signs of low staff morale

How to spot the signs of employee burnout

With the cost of living increasing quickly, it is no wonder that nearly half of employees are considering a new role in 2023. Employers should act now to retain their best talent or they could find it difficult to take advantage of growing opportunities in the UAE economy.

Gareth El Mettouri, Associate Director – Middle East

Sources

Data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on an online survey of 500 working professionals developed by Robert Half and conducted by SavantaComRes between 05/08/2022 to 15/08/2022.