Non-graduate expats over 60 safe in Kuwait’s public sector

KUWAIT CITY: The decision not to renew the work permits of unqualified expatriates aged 60 and over reveals the government’s lack of seriousness in strengthening the role of the private sector, which faces a major crisis due to the decision which became effective from January 1, 2021.

Senior government sources said the decision did not include public sector workers and, according to the Central Statistics Administration, around 6,000 expatriate men and women work in the public sector and are 60 years and older (well that some of them may hold diplomas) and about 1,800 of them are over 65 years of age.

On the other hand, since the pronouncement of the decision in the 1960s, the problems of the category of persons affected by the decision began to be exacerbated with the Public Manpower Authority, which has more once referred to amendments to the decision.

In the meantime, although there are no decisions or circulars issued or announced by the Ministry of the Interior to prevent children from sponsoring their parents, transactions submitted in this regard to the General Administration of Affairs of residence were rejected without giving reasons.

According to the sources, if the law comes into force to allow expatriates over the age of 60 to renew their residency after paying 2,000 dinars, public sector employees will not be affected.

The number of job seekers registered with the Public Manpower Authority (PAM) for more than six months has fallen by four percent, or the equivalent of 723 job seekers, reports the daily Al-Rai.

According to recent statistics titled “Students at Kuwait University … most looking for jobs”, based on figures recently released by the Public Manpower Authority (PAM), the number of citizens seeking employment at that time was 18,168 Kuwaiti men and women.

When the list was updated in the second week of July, that number was 17,445 Kuwaiti men and women, a decrease from 723 citizens.

PAM knowledgeable sources have revealed that these lists are updated periodically.

While the figures indicate that citizens are likely to have been appointed, the largest proportion of those who left the list of job seekers belong to the category of university degree holders.

Their number increased from 10,673 citizens to 10,153, meaning that this category gained around 520 jobs, constituting 72 percent of the number of people employed during the period.

The number of job seekers with master’s degrees also increased from 304 to 285 citizens, at a rate of six percent, which equates to 19 citizens with a job.

As for the holders of a diploma, the number of job seekers fell by 3%, equivalent to 84 citizens, reducing their number from 2,993 to 2,909 citizens.

Those who hold a high school diploma, their number has decreased to four percent, or the equivalent of 46 citizens, from 1,230 to 1,184 citizens.