The World Bank (WB) is stressing Kuwait’s urgent need for equitable human capital formation, as the country ranks 77th out of 157 countries, a low ranking compared to other countries with similar income levels, Al Qabas daily reported.
The bank reports indicate a poor match between the qualifications of graduates and the needs of the labor market, as a large proportion of students seek to obtain degrees in the social sciences and humanities to work in the public sector, instead of obtaining degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, according to the requirements of the knowledge economy and the diversification agenda adopted by the government.
The report said the participation of women in the labor force is 31%, compared to 48% for men, and the unemployment rate is higher for women at 7%, compared to 6% for men, pointing out that occupational discrimination has led to the concentration of women working mostly in the education and health sectors.
The report stated that women occupy a small percentage of leadership positions and senior management positions, as their percentage in government institutions is 15% and less than 20% in the private sector.