Labour market assessment Market trends and opportunities in Ethiopia and the Gulf

This labour-market assessment identifies economic trends, skills needs and migration opportunities linking Ethiopia with key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) labour markets. It outlines Ethiopia’s demographic pressures, rising youth unemployment and sector growth in construction, manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and domestic work (pages 4–7). The charts on pages 6–8 show persistent skills mismatches, low technical-skills depth and limited formal TVET-to-employment pathways. Gulf demand projections highlight shortages in construction trades, hospitality, care work, logistics, security, cleaning services and ICT support roles. The report analyses recruitment practices, gendered risks in domestic work, weak protection systems and gaps in skills certification and recognition. Recommendations emphasise stronger skills profiling, expanded accredited pre-departure training, better BLMA frameworks, ethical recruitment enforcement and development-oriented mobility pathways.