The Abu Dhabi Job Fair

An article from UAE's The National posted that of a recent job fair in early February where drones of people arrived from all over the world

Some people are looking for better opportunities while some are just picking up from there whey were laid off. I don't think it's much better out there than it is in the Philippines. So think clearly people before you pack those bags.

The Tawdheef recruitment fair, which runs until Thursday, began at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ostensibly to showcase the opportunities available to young Emiratis.

However, workers from the Philippines and India also turned out in droves to interview with local human resources firms and to find more stable employment as the fear of layoffs continued to mount.

“We would like to find a job with accounts. Our present employer is a small travel agency,” said Rosella Franco, 28, who was filling out an application at the fair alongside her husband. Both are from the Philippines.

She said they were looking for a job within the government sector because they are concerned about their prospects in the smaller firm.

“We started to worry because of the recession,” she said. “I feel that if I can find a government job, that will provide a good future for my family.”

Ian Giulianotti, the director of Nadia recruitment, said the job market has changed dramatically over the past 18 months.

“Before, if you had an open house, the people looking for a job would be unemployed,” he said.

“It’s a matter of supply and demand. If you came to me 18 months ago and said, ‘I need a secretary,’ you would get three CVs and you would have to make a decision within three days. Then you would have to offer 50 per cent more pay,” Mr Giulianotti said. “Now if you ask me for a secretary, you’ll get between five and 10 CVs and you could make an offer that was non-negotiable.”

The instability of the market has also led to non-payment and job insecurity, he said.

“People are sitting around, noticing companies not doing well and they ask, ‘should I jump before I’m pushed?’”