50% surge in blue-collar migration from India to the Middle East in 2024, reveals a study by Huntr
Huntr, a UAE-based migrant workforce management company, has released a study highlighting a 50% increase in blue-collar migration from India to the Middle East. The data was analysed from a sample size of 1 lakh blue collar workers , focusing on trends in 2023 and 2024, reveals key insights into the current state of labor migration.
According to Huntr’s findings, the first seven months of 2023 saw a 50% increase in blue-collar worker migration from India to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries compared to the same period in 2022. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the primary destinations for these workers, with Saudi Arabia offering over 178,630 jobs to Indian nationals in 2022, marking a fivefold increase from 2021. The UAE experienced a 25% rise in demand for skilled blue-collar workers in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and construction from May 2023 to April 2024.
Samuel Joy, CEO, Huntr, said, “Our study demonstrates the Middle East’s continuing appeal for Indian blue-collar workers. We’re observing increased demand across various sectors, with notable growth in construction, hospitality, healthcare, oil & gas, manufacturing, and logistics. The economic factors driving this trend, combined with recent policy changes, are reshaping the landscape of labor migration.”
The data highlights significant economic factors influencing this migration trend. The depreciation of the Indian Rupee against Gulf currencies has made earnings in Middle Eastern countries more attractive, with remittances carrying more value. Wages for blue-collar workers in the Middle East are considerably higher than in India, especially in sectors like construction, hospitality, and logistics. Even in basic jobs, Indian workers can earn multiple times what they would in their home country.
There is an evident shift in skill requirements, too, with a growing demand for workers capable of operating and maintaining advanced technologies. This trend is particularly evident in the construction and logistics sectors, where workers are now required to handle machinery, operate digital systems, and understand automation processes.
Emerging opportunities in renewable energy and sustainability sectors are pretty evident, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. These countries’ push towards renewable energy is creating new roles in solar and wind energy projects, including installation, maintenance, and operations of renewable energy facilities.
Huntr’s data also indicates a notable rise in the number of female migrants from India, particularly in the healthcare and hospitality sectors. This shift reflects broader efforts to diversify the workforce and fill specific skill gaps in these industries.
About Huntr
Huntr (Techstars ’22) is a blue-collar worker marketplace that helps enterprises (companies with 2k+ employees) connect with service providers such as government and training partners to source, manage, and onboard a large volume of job-ready workforce (think rippling/lever/workday for the blue-collar workforce). Our platform saves enterprises millions of dollars in attrition costs by enabling candidates to be trained and onboarded in under 30 days (compared to legacy systems that take 2-3 months). Since launch, our marketplace has enabled our service providers, such as government and training partners, to recruit 3k+ candidates for companies such as Amazon, Dubai Airport, and Abu Dhabi Airport. Huntr has been featured in World Bank, Wired, YourStory, and Gulf Business and was nominated as one of the best startups in Dubai for the GBTech Awards in October 2022.
