Labor Ministry understaffed

The Labor Ministry is grappling with a severe shortage of personnel that threatens the smooth operation of the Kingdom’s largest labor reform package in the country’s history.
The ministry is faced with at least 2,206 vacancies. There are 4,552 office workers currently on the payroll.
In Jeddah, the ministry is laboring under just 150 workers who must contend with a daily influx of grievances and enforce labor laws.
Shoura Council member Isa Al-Ghaith said that vacancies in the ministry are hampering its productivity. “In any ministry, vacancies are understandable to a certain extent, but for a crucial ministry such as Labor, a 48-percent vacancy rate is unacceptable,” he said.
“I appreciate the efforts of (minister) Adel Fakeih and his team, but being so understaffed will undoubtedly have adverse effects. Staff shortage is being compensated by newly introduced electronic services to some extent, but full-scale recruitment must be carried out.”
Meanwhile, getting Saudis into unskilled jobs will create new challenges for the ministry. Thousands of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Filipino expatriates are leaving such jobs as cleaners, construction workers, plumbers and electricians. The jobs are left for Saudis.
However, some employers are not optimistic. “It is not easy to find a Saudi who would work as construction worker,” said Abdullah Baker Radwan, head of the contractors forum and member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“They are required to move with construction projects. Expat workers can go to different cities and live in harsh environments, especially those that require them to leave near construction projects.”