Majority of expats in Kuwait earn between $200- $400 per month – study

The biggest proportion of expatriates working in Kuwait – numbering 500,000 – earn between KD60 (roughly $220) and KD119 ($395) per month, according to a recent study by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM).

While roughly 324,000 expats pocket a monthly salary of between KD120 ($400) and KD179, around 146,000 residents earn between KD189 and KD239 per month and 96,500 expats have a salary ranging from KD300 to KD359 ($1,192), local media cited the study as saying.

While 55,000 expats have salaries ranging between KD420 ($1,395) and KD479, those earning more than KD480 ($1,595) per month stand at around 231,800.

The study said the total workforce in Kuwait stands at 2.92 million including 1.7 million in the private sector, 464,400 in the government sector and roughly 744,000 in the domestic sector.

In terms of workforce distribution, 57 per cent are from Asia, 35 per cent from Arab countries, 4 per cent from the Gulf region and 1 per cent from Africa.

The study also made several recommendations including restricting work permit issuance for one year to ‘utilise skilled labour already in the country’ by allowing transfers from visas.

Read: Kuwait says foreigners on commercial visit visas can switch to work permits

It also urged the interior ministry and other relevant departments to intensify their efforts in deporting violating laborers and resolve the issue of travel bans on those whose residency permits have expired.

The study said it is necessary to stop the issuance of work permits for professions where a Kuwaiti who is seeking work for the same job is available, and ask all ministries and concerned authorities to monitor workers on government contracts.

PAM also recommended reducing the number of unskilled workers including those working at gas stations, shopping centres, car parks, taxi drivers, cleaning worker supervisors and guards on government contracts, and encourage youth to take up these jobs.

The study also stressed that Kuwaiti students must be allowed to work part-time and full-time from the age of 16, which will encourage them to work for the private sector and improve their skills.

PAM urged all state departments to tackle the issue of Kuwait’s “population imbalance” by increasing opportunities in the workplace for Kuwaitis.

Thousands of expats have already left Kuwait this year as the country looks to nationalise its workforce.

The number of expatriates in the country dropped by 56,300 in the first half of 2021, bringing their total to 3.154 million, according to official figures.

Read more: Kuwait’s expat population down by 56,000 in the first half of 2021 – report