A while ago, I investigated the impact of online employment services on the job market in Saudi Arabia. During my search I came across many reports and contradicting statistics about the job market and unemployment in the Kingdom and the Arab region in general.
Perhaps one of the most distinguished reports was one done by the World Bank. It said that unemployment in the Arab countries had dropped in the past five years. This information contradicts the common belief that unemployment is on the rise in the region.
I was so delighted and optimistic reading the statistics in this report. I assume that a crucial reason that has helped in diminishing the percentage of unemployment in the Arab world is the Internet, which I felt is being used by job hunters and unemployed people to look for opportunities.
This shift in search methods is the best proof that there is a change in the way people look for employment.
Perhaps we will not realize the significance of this change in attitude, unless we try to remember the way people used to hunt for jobs five years ago. The truth is that online employment services may be an important way to overcome the negativities of the traditional methods of job hunting, whether in Saudi Arabia or in other Arab countries.
Wasta, or influence-peddling, personal favors, bribe and manipulating employment applications are real problems. They cause imbalance in the job market because applicants are not given equal opportunities and chances in getting jobs.
These factors create a feeling of frustration, bitterness and spitefulness that is widespread.
In addition, the traditional job market lacks the simplest organizational and communication principles that allow employers to professionally interact with job applicants. This is part and parcel of the random employment mechanism in the Middle East.
People who understand this sad reality will see the Internet as a golden opportunity to reorganize and reconstruct the job market. Having a better system would give individuals the chance to acquire jobs based on their qualifications, education and experience instead of relying on powerful friends and relatives.
