UAE Workforce Grows 12.4% in 2025 as Private Sector Expands

The United Arab Emirates workforce grew by 12.4% in 2025, up from 10.9% in 2024.The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s Labour Market Observatory also reported a 7.8% rise in the number of private sector establishments in 2025.
The Labour Market Observatory’s indicators showed that young workers aged 18 to 35 accounted for 54.9% of the labour market in 2025. Women held 17.4% of leadership roles, while skilled female workers represented 45.8% of total female employment. In the same period, 36% of establishments contributed to the employment of women.
Worker protections expanded under the Workers Protection Program, with 99.9% of workers safeguarded in 2025, covering entitlements such as unpaid wages and other financial benefits. The Labour Market Observatory positions these results within the United Arab Emirates’ broader labour market competitiveness, highlighting first-place rankings in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025 for labour force growth and the labour market main indicator, among others.