Demand for local hire surges in Qatar amid travel restrictions
The demand for local skilled labour has surged in Qatar as companies begin to ramp up their operations, following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
The main reason behind the rising popularity for local talent, as opposed to international hire, is travel restriction placed by countries across the globe that have disturbed the flow of manpower to Qatar.
In June, Doha News reported that the Ministry of Finance sent a circular saying that all government entities must slash their budget for non-Qatari wages by 30 percent, which mostly impacted expatriate workers in Doha, with many having to leave Qatar.
Many companies in Qatar over the past few months had to lay off and cut salaries of many of its employees, keeping the cost at a minimum, to survive a pandemic-caused recession.
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But now, with Phase 4 of easing of restrictions, consumer demand is picking up in retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, malls, and hypermarkets, leading to an increase in demand for workforce.
Specifically, employers in IT, hospitality, food and beverages, retail and health are on a hiring spree, The Peninsula reported on Sunday.
The first part of Phase 4 of easing restrictions, put in place to limit COVID-19, has already started, which has allowed 80 percent of the workforce to return to workplaces.
The Supreme Committee for Crisis Management had earlier announced that the second phase of Phase 4 of easing of restrictions would commence at the beginning of the third week of September.
