The preference for public sector employment among job seekers has been a persistent phenomenon in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region over the past few decades. This paper assesses Emirati senior undergraduate students’ perceptions and willingness to work in the private sector, identifies the factors that shape their work sector perceptions and preferences and examines differences in perceptions and preferences based on demographic characteristics of respondents.
Data from 399 students at a public university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were collected using a paper questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were applied in the data analysis.
Our findings show that low pay and benefits, long working hours, short vacation and more challenging jobs are the key barriers that make the private sector less attractive to young Emiratis. Unexpectedly, our findings indicated that young adults in the UAE did not view job security as a significant factor in choosing the public sector over the private sector.
This study addresses a gap in the literature by examining the job choice intentions of young citizens in the GCC context, with particular attention to the cognitive and affective factors shaping their strong preference for public sector employment. By uncovering the underlying perceptions and beliefs that shape sector preferences, the study offers valuable theoretical insights and practical implications for workforce planning and policy development in the UAE and the broader GCC region.
