Kuwait labor market sees influx of 107 thousand workers

The latest Kuwaiti labor market data issued by the Central Administration of Statistics revealed that about 107 thousand citizens and residents entered the labor market in the first 9 months of 2023. This brings the total number of workers in Kuwait to about 2.897 million citizens and residents at the end of last September, compared to 2.79 million at the end of December 2022, an increase of 3.8%.

The total employment in the country is distributed among 2.44 million expatriates in the private and government sectors at the end of September 2023, compared to 2.34 million expatriates at the end of December 2022, an increase of 4.2%, while the number of citizens in the labor market reached about 448.8 thousand citizens at the end of September 2023, compared to about 442.6 thousand Kuwaitis by the end of December 2022, an increase of 1.4%.

In detail, the data showed that among the new recruits in the labor market there are about 6,181 male and female citizens, while the number of expatriates, including domestic workers, is about 100.78 thousand male and female expatriates.

Workers from the Indian community topped the list of the largest communities in the Kuwaiti labor market with about 879.5 thousand Indian men and women at the end of last September, as their numbers increased during the period from January until the end of September by 44.9 thousand Indian men and women compared to 834.67 thousand at the end of December 2022.

Egyptian workers ranked second, with 479.88 thousand male and female workers at the end of September 2023, as their numbers in the labor market decreased by about 4,372 male and female workers compared to 484,259 thousand male and female workers at the end of December 2022.

Kuwaitis came as the third largest labor force in the local market, as their numbers reached about 448.8 thousand male and female workers at the end of September 2023. An increase of 6,181 male and female citizens compared to 442,647 thousand Kuwaiti men and women at the end of December 2022.

Filipino workers ranked as the fourth largest community in the labor market, as their numbers declined from 266.9 thousand at the end of December 2022 to 260.38 thousand at the end of September 2023.

Bangladeshi workers came in fifth place with 256.67 thousand Bangladeshi men and women at the end of September 2023, compared to 241.3 thousand at the end of December 2022.

Government and private sectors

On the other hand, the numerical and relative distribution of workers according to the top 10 nationalities according to status, which shows workers in the government and private sectors excluding domestic workers, showed that the total number of workers in the two sectors increased by about 70.5 thousand, reaching 2.107 million male and female workers at the end of last September, compared to 2.036 million male and female workers at the end of December 2022.

Indians topped the working communities in the government and private sectors with about 526.8 thousand male and female workers at the end of September 2023, an increase by about 29.7 thousand male and female workers in the first 9 months of the year. The current number compared to 497 thousand male and female workers at the end of December 2022.

Egyptians ranked second in the government and private sectors, as their numbers decreased by about 4,351 Egyptian men and women to 478.8 thousand at the end of September 2023, compared to 483.18 thousand at the end of last December.

Kuwaitis came in third place after their numbers rose from 442,647 thousand male and female citizens by the end of December 2022 to 448,828 thousand male and female citizens by the end of September 2023, a growth of 1.4%.

Bangladeshis ranked fourth in the same sectors after their numbers rose during the first 9 months of 2023 to 174.55 thousand people, compared to 161.9 thousand at the end of December 2022.

The Nepalese jumped from eighth place to fifth place after their numbers rose from 62.93 thousand at the end of December 2022 to 75.7 thousand at the end of September 2023.

Domestic workers

The data showed the features of domestic workers in the Kuwaiti labor market in light of the changes that this sector witnessed during the last period. The entry of 36.47 thousand domestic workers to the Kuwaiti labor market during the first 9 months of 2023, bringing the number of domestic workers from 753.29 thousand male and female workers at the end of December 2022 to about 789.77 thousand male and female workers by the end of September 2023.

Workers from the Indian community topped the list of the top 10 nationalities exporting domestic workers to Kuwait, as their number reached 352.78 thousand by the end of September 2023, compared to 337.59 thousand by the end of December 2022.

The number of Sri Lankans increased from 90 thousand domestic workers in December 2022 to 106.68 thousand by the end of September 2023, and the number of Nepalese workers increased by the end of September 2023 to 28.95 thousand male and female workers, compared to 20.73 thousand male and female workers at the end of December 2022.

Benin employment rose from 4,120 people at the end of December 2022 to 5,047 people at the end of September 2023, and Indonesia rose from about 1,916 at the end of September 2023 compared to 2,067 at the end of December 2022.

Philippine employment declined from 200 thousand at the end of December 2022 to 173.7 thousand by the end of the first 9 months of 2023, and Ethiopia’s employment decreased from 8,210 to 7,516.