Employment in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Employment was 7,330 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
7,330
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
69th
of 188 countries
All-time high
7,330
in 2025
All-time low
1,049
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in United Arab Emirates, 1991–2025

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1991200820251991: 1.0k1992: 1.1k1993: 1.2k1994: 1.3k1995: 1.3k1996: 1.5k1997: 1.6k1998: 1.7k1999: 1.9k2000: 2.0k2001: 2.2k2002: 2.3k2003: 2.5k2004: 2.7k2005: 2.9k2006: 3.1k2007: 3.5k2008: 3.9k2009: 4.1k2010: 4.3k2011: 4.5k2012: 4.7k2013: 4.9k2014: 5.2k2015: 5.5k2016: 5.8k2017: 5.9k2018: 6.0k2019: 6.1k2020: 5.9k2021: 6.1k2022: 6.4k2023: 6.8k2024: 7.1k2025: 7.3k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2025, employment in United Arab Emirates stood at 7,330. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 32.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in United Arab Emirates peaked at 7,330 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,049, in 1991.

United Arab Emirates ranks 69th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Employment in United Arab Emirates, year by year

Annual values for Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in United Arab Emirates, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 1,049
1992 1,120 +6.8%
1993 1,195 +6.7%
1994 1,270 +6.3%
1995 1,349 +6.1%
1996 1,451 +7.6%
1997 1,577 +8.7%
1998 1,713 +8.6%
1999 1,859 +8.5%
2000 2,014 +8.3%
2001 2,175 +8.0%
2002 2,342 +7.7%
2003 2,511 +7.2%
2004 2,686 +7.0%
2005 2,861 +6.5%
2006 3,108 +8.6%
2007 3,504 +12.7%
2008 3,924 +12.0%
2009 4,146 +5.6%
2010 4,297 +3.6%
2011 4,484 +4.4%
2012 4,694 +4.7%
2013 4,930 +5.0%
2014 5,214 +5.7%
2015 5,526 +6.0%
2016 5,797 +4.9%
2017 5,905 +1.9%
2018 6,021 +2.0%
2019 6,067 +0.8%
2020 5,943 -2.0%
2021 6,102 +2.7%
2022 6,418 +5.2%
2023 6,827 +6.4%
2024 7,103 +4.0%
2025 7,330 +3.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,398 1,049 1,859 9
2000s 2,927 2,014 4,146 10
2010s 5,293 4,297 6,067 10
2020s 6,621 5,943 7,330 6

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 66 Zambia 7,537 compare
  2. 67 Nepal 7,488 compare
  3. 68 Guatemala 7,485 compare
  4. 70 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 6,773 compare
  5. 71 Yemen 6,743 compare
  6. 72 Chad 6,675 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in United Arab Emirates?
Employment in United Arab Emirates was 7,330 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest employment recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 7,330 in 2025.
What is the lowest employment recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 1,049 in 1991.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for employment?
United Arab Emirates ranks 69th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in United Arab Emirates. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-ilo-modelled-estimates/united-arab-emirates/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 9,646 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.