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European Cities Underperform on the List of Most Competitive Labor Markets, Doha and Dubai Take the Top Spots

If you are looking for a new job and would like to replace the Croatian labor market with a foreign one, you might direct your gaze towards some countries you haven’t considered before. Namely, although most people from Croatia are hunting for jobs in Central and Northern Europe, the best jobs, at least in terms of the number of people wanting to work there, are found in the Middle East.

Doha and Dubai are the first two cities in terms of the number of candidates wanting to be employed there, as shown by a study by Resume.io. For the research, data from 130 global cities and every U.S. state was used, tracking the number of applications submitted for jobs in the first week after they were advertised. To be considered, cities had to have at least 100 job postings shared on LinkedIn (during the period when the company was collecting data – which was at the end of February 2023).

No European Cities in Sight

The research showed that an average of 399 candidates apply for jobs in the capital of Qatar weekly, while about 282 people apply for jobs in Dubai. Therefore, Doha and Dubai convincingly hold the top two spots as the two most competitive labor markets in the world, both attracting a large number of job seekers with high salaries and tax-free incomes characteristic of the region.

Following them in the ‘top 5’ are Istanbul, Johannesburg, and Abu Dhabi, and interestingly, out of the ten cities on the list only one city is from Europe. Middle Eastern countries made up half of the top-10 list of ‘most competitive labor markets in the world.’

Here’s who is on the list:

1. Doha, Qatar: 399.0

2. Dubai, UAE: 282.9

3. Istanbul, Turkey: 168.3

4. Johannesburg, South Africa: 160.2

5. Abu Dhabi, UAE: 148.8

6. Madrid, Spain: 115.7

7. San Jose, United States: 107.6

8. Buenos Aires, Argentina: 104.1

9. San Francisco, United States: 91.9

10. Tel Aviv, Israel: 82.5

As foreign media report, some countries cultivate a welcoming environment to attract as many foreign workers as possible. For example, the Emirates have introduced numerous incentives, especially in the last three years (including the Golden Visa) to encourage highly qualified foreign individuals and investors to live and work in the country with zero personal income tax and flexible business startup requirements.

The Effect of the World Cup

Moreover, despite all the criticism regarding alleged unethical labor practices and inequality, Doha has benefited from the World Cup held there as it put the city on the global map. The event attracted tourists from around the world and opened many temporary jobs, contributing to Qatar’s high ranking. Thus, the Qatar News Agency reported that the World Cup in Qatar brought 1.4 million visitors, while the number of new and temporary jobs increased in sectors such as construction, insurance, hospitality, and healthcare, with nine out of ten jobs filled by foreign workers. What remains to be seen is whether this is a temporary ‘boom’ or if Doha has a chance to remain among the most competitive labor markets in the world?

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