Almost 50% of UAE workers didn’t get a pay hike in 2015

Close to half (46 per cent) of workers in the United Arab Emirates did not receive a salary raise last year, a new survey has found.

The survey by jobs site Bayt.com and YouGov also found that that 30 per cent of those who did receive a wage hike were dissatisfied with their raise.

While 9 per cent of the respondents said their raise was above the inflation rate, 17 per cent said it was in line with the inflation rate and 52 per cent said their raise was below the current rate of inflation.

On the other hand, 36 per cent said they were very happy or modestly happy with their raise and 10 per cent claimed the pay hike they received last year was fair in light of their contribution to the company.

The survey also found that the majority of the UAE professionals – 64 per cent – believe that their salary is lower than the industry average.

Oil, gas and petrochemicals (37 per cent), banking and finance (30 per cent) and airline/aviation (29 per cent) emerged as the highest paying industries for UAE respondents.

Read: Revealed: Top 10 salaries in the UAE

“This information is key to guiding both employers and job seekers, so the mismatch between salaries offered and expectations can be successfully addressed,” said VP of Employer Solutions at Bayt.com Suhail Masri.

Looking ahead, 55 per cent of UAE respondents are expecting a salary increase in 2016 with 33 per cent anticipating a hike of up to 15 per cent.

While 28 per cent do not expect to receive a raise at all in 2016, another 16 per cent were unsure of whether they would get a pay hike.

The majority of respondents (58 per cent) also claim that they are planning on finding a better job in their industry within the next 12 months. However, only 12 per cent plan on relocating to a different country in the Middle East in search of a better job.

With regards to the rising cost of living in the UAE, the majority of respondents say that they have witnessed an increase in their rent (80 per cent), food and beverage (57 per cent) and utilities (55 per cent).

The increased cost of living has hampered the ability to save: 29 per cent of the respondents admit that they save nothing from their monthly salary. However, 60 per cent repatriate a portion of their salary to their home country.

YouGov’s research director Joao Neves said: “It is interesting to note that 61 per cent of MENA respondents manage to save a portion of their monthly income, with 58 per cent of those living outside their home country being able to repatriate a portion of their savings to their home country.

“This is a good sign for both employers and job seekers, as the ability to save and repatriate savings will impact other factors such as employee satisfaction and loyalty towards the company.”

Data for the survey was collected online from April 1 to April 15 2016.