Oman / Minimum wage raised and the number of foreign workers restricted

Oman’s parliament, the Shura Council, approved a much higher minimum wage and curbs on the employment of foreigners on Saturday, aiming to prevent joblessness again becoming a source of anger for Omani citizens.

The cabinet proposed the moves last week in an attempt to spur private sector employment levels among Omanis after complaints about the lack of jobs contributed to Arab Spring protests two years ago.

The government is keen to move more citizens into private sector jobs in preparation for an eventual fall in oil revenue, seen as possible later this decade. Public sector jobs in Oman pay much higher wages than most jobs with private companies.

The private sector minimum wage for Omani citizens will be raised by more than 60 percent to 325 rials ($844) a month effective from July 1, state television said.

The council also approved restricting the number of foreign workers in Oman to 33 percent of the country’s total population “to create an employment balance”, but without introducing a timeframe.

The plan approved by the Shura Council also lacked details on any mechanism to cut the number of foreign workers, most of whom are from South Asia Or southeast Asia.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor from 

via Oman raises minimum wage to avert future protests | Reuters.

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