UAE remote job postings jump 44%, and employment stays above pre-pandemic levels

A LinkedIn analysis of July data found UAE employment sitting 5 per cent above its July 2019 level, the only market across the EMEA and Latin American economies covered to remain above its pre-pandemic baseline. The average across the other markets in the set was well below it.

Remote job postings in the UAE rose 44.3 per cent year on year in July, the fastest growth of any market in the report, ahead of the Netherlands at 33.9 per cent, Italy at 16.9 per cent and the United Kingdom at 14 per cent.

The share figures are more sober. Remote roles made up 5.9 per cent of total paid UAE job postings in July, down 3.7 percentage points month on month, while hybrid roles accounted for 6.5 per cent. Growth is fast, but from a small base, and the monthly dip suggests some employers are recalibrating.

For hiring managers, the signal is that flexibility has become a live competitive variable in the UAE market rather than a concession, even though most roles are still on site.