A report issued by LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, has confirmed that the United Arab Emirates continued to record positive labour market indicators despite a slowdown in hiring across the broader region, remaining the only market covered by the report where the employment rate is still above pre-pandemic levels.
The Economic Insights report, a copy of which was obtained by Al Bayan, showed that the UAE's hiring rate in May 2026 remained 3.3% higher than it was in May 2019, while all other countries included in the report fell below their pre-pandemic levels — reflecting the sustained strength of the UAE labour market relative to global peers.
The report noted that the UAE recorded the highest annual growth in remote job postings among all countries studied, rising 23.4% compared with the same period last year, against limited growth of 1% in the United Kingdom and 1.6% in Italy. Remote job postings declined in Sweden by 19.6%, France by 18%, and Ireland by 11.1%. The UAE also led growth in demand for remote roles, with applications rising 14.2% year on year, making it the only country to record growth in this indicator at a time when most other markets saw declines, including the Netherlands at 26.1%, Sweden at 23.7%, Ireland at 22.6%, Germany at 19.4%, and the United Kingdom at 11.1%.
The report noted that remote jobs accounted for 5.8% of total job postings in the UAE during May, while applications for remote positions made up 6.6% of all job applications, reflecting continued interest among jobseekers in this mode of work.
By contrast, the report showed that hybrid jobs continued to decline across various markets, including the UAE, although the country's drop of 10.9% year on year was smaller than the declines recorded in markets such as Sweden (24.2%), Italy (17%), and Germany (16%).
The UAE's performance comes as the report highlighted continued pressure on labour markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, with the regional hiring rate falling approximately 16.9% year on year while most economies retreated below pre-pandemic levels.
Despite global challenges, the report's findings confirm that the UAE retains its capacity to attract jobs linked to the digital economy and flexible working, reinforcing its standing as one of the most advanced and competitive labour markets in the region.