US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT4514

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004514 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2014 
TAGS: ECIN, ECON, ELAB, KU, PGOV 
SUBJECT: POSITIVE REPORT ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN KUWAIT 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C)  The Ambassador discussed the employment situation in 
Kuwait during a December 27, 2004 meeting with Minister of 
Communications, Planning and State for Development of 
Administrative Affairs Shaykh Ahmed Abdullah al-Ahmed 
al-Sabah.  When asked his opinion on Kuwait unemployment, the 
Minster responded that "it's not as bad as it may seem." 
According to him, of the reported 18,000-20,000 Kuwaitis 
reported as unemployed this year, only 3,000 of them are 
actively looking for work.  The remaining are either 
housewives not seeking work or individuals unqualified to 
work.  For those 3,000 seeking work, the government has over 
9,000 open jobs available per year.  For many for these jobs 
(doctors, nurses), there were few qualified applicants. 
 
2.  (C)  The Minister also pointed out that 8,300 positions 
were open in the private sector and that the percentage of 
Kuwaitis working in the private sector is increasing.  When 
the Ambassador asked if he though "Kuwaitization" was 
working, the Minister responded by saying that Kuwaitis must 
be encouraged to work in the private sector.  He continued by 
saying that in order to encourage Kuwaitis into the private 
sector the laws needed to be changed to protect workers more 
and that the government needed to make its jobs less 
attractive.  One reform that the Minister cited as an example 
is a recent reduction in the number of sick days for public 
employees. 
 
 
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LEBARON