Omanisation rate in private sector continues to rise

Oman’s private sector had hired almost 5 per cent more Omanis by May 2019 than it had in the previous year, according to Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and information.

There were 258,536 Omani employees in the private sector in May 2019, compared to 246,649 Omanis in May 2018, a rise of 4.8 per cent.

The rise in the number of Omani employees was spread throughout multiple sectors and geographic areas, and not confined to any one pay grade, but shared among higher and middle-paying jobs.

According to the report, there were 14.5 per cent more Omanis in the private sector making over OMR2,000 per month than in the previous year. This was followed by a 9.4 per cent increase in those making between OMR500 and 600 per month and a 9.1 per cent increase in those making between OMR1,000 and 2,000 per month.

Most Omani employees currently work in Muscat, followed by North Al Batinah and Al Dakhiliyah, and many work desk jobs or in engineering occupations.

Muscat registered 83,536 Omani employees in the private sector, followed by 47,053 employees in North Al Batinah and 32,381 Omanis in Al Dakhiliyah.

58,908 Omanis in the private sector worked in clerical occupations, followed by 57,983 Omanis who work in Primary and Auxiliary Engineering Occupations, a designation by the Ministry of Manpower which includes engineering work, technicians, and mechanics, among others.

These jobs were followed by service occupations, which had 45,236 employees.

In business, most Omanis in the private sector currently work in construction followed by automobile companies and finally by manufacturing companies.

The data showed that 60,092 Omanis work in construction businesses, the highest of any type of economic activity, followed by 37,823 Omanis in wholesale, retail, trade and repair of vehicles and motorcycles and 31,250 Omanis in manufacturing businesses, according to the NCSI.

Omanisation percentages in the private sector, while increasing, are still some way behind the high public sector rates.

According to the latest statistics by the Ministry of Civil Service, 87 per cent of employees in the public sector were Omani as of June 2018, with 174,853 total employees registered under the ministry, 152,645 of whom were Omani.