Job satisfaction on the rise among GCC construction workers

22 April 2017

Construction Week’s 2017 Salary Survey registered a 10% year-on-year rise in job satisfaction as more construction companies received favourable ratings from their employees.

When asked to rate how satisfied they were with their employers – with one being the lowest and 10 being the highest rating – respondents to Construction Week’s 2016 Salary Survey reported an average rating of six.

In contrast, the mean average rating among 2017’s participants climbed to more than seven out of 10.

Despite this encouraging increase in job satisfaction, construction-related recruitment in the GCC looks set to remain as dynamic as ever. Just over half of this year’s respondents (52%) intend to change jobs within the next 12 months – the same proportion that registered their intention to move in 2016.

Nevertheless, based on the responses of this year’s participants, the rise of sectoral brain drain appears unlikely. Even including those who plan to seek employment elsewhere, more than 85% of the 2017 cohort expect to remain in the GCC.

Every year, Construction Week invites the GCC’s construction community to complete a brief questionnaire in a bid to find out how their wages compare with those of their peers. The survey also gauges factors such as salary-related expectations, the prevalence of disruption to pay, the most common benefits, and average working hours.

A record 688 regional construction professionals completed this year’s survey, the results of which provide a valuable barometer for the sector.