Kingdom of Bahrain Portal for Sustainable Development Goals

Goal Eight: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Roughly half the world’s population still lives on the equivalent of about US$2 a day. And in too many places, having a job doesn’t guarantee the ability to escape from poverty. This slow and uneven progress requires us to rethink and retool our economic and social policies aimed at eradicating poverty. A continued lack of decent work opportunities, insufficient investments and under-consumption lead to an erosion of the basic social contract underlying democratic societies: that all must share in progress.

Overview of some indicators

Unemployment rate

4.3

Number of commercial bank branch (per 100,000 adults)

14.6

Number of fatal occupational injuries

Indicators

Target 8.1: Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
- Indicator 8.1.1: Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita (Excel, 0.10MB, 1 Sheet)
Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high- value-added and labour-intensive sectors
- Indicator 8.2.1: Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
Target 8.3: Promote development- oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
- Indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in non‑agriculture employment, by sex
Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
- Indicator 8.4.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
- Indicator 8.4.2: Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
- Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
- Indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities (Excel, 0.01MB, 1 Sheet)
Target 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
- Indicator 8.6.1: Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
- Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
- Indicator 8.8.1: Frequency rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries, by sex and migrant status (Excel, 0.02MB, 1 Sheet)
- Indicator 8.8.2: Level of national compliance of labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
- Indicator 8.9.1: Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP (Excel, 0.02MB, 1 Sheet)
Target 8.10: Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
- Indicator 8.10.1: (a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults (Excel, 0.10MB, 1 Sheet)
- Indicator 8.10.2: Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
Target 8.a: Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries
- Indicator 8.a.1: Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
Target 8.b: By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
- Indicator 8.b.1: Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy

Policies & initiatives support the goal

National Employment Program in 2019 to help Bahraini citizens improve their chances of being the top choice for employment in the labor market, while maintaining the labor market’s ability to attract talent. The program employs Bahrainis and qualify them for long-term employment and equal opportunities, based on the needs of the labor market.
For more information about employment, please visit http://www.bahrain.bh/employment

For more information on decent work for all visit the Ministry of Labour and Social Development website.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development adopts a number of projects and initiatives that aim at promoting sustainable economic development for individuals. In this regard, the Ministry seeks to sustain the activities of productive families and self-employed businesses that raise the economic level of individuals. Moreover, the Ministry encourages creativity and innovation in this field and the formalization of small and micro enterprises through the following initiatives and projects:

Supporting productive families through an integrated (Khetwa) Program: this program provides an appropriate environment for qualifying Bahraini citizens who are capable of joining labour market with small projects and enterprises that could later expand and grow into larger businesses. It also aims at empowering Bahrainis economically and increasing the economic returns for them, by providing the following:

• Training, which helps participants identify with the commercial and professional fields in cooperation with accredited training institutions. Training also enlightens trainees with the factors that may affect their projects, help them figure out how to manage the resources available for them and how to prepare an effective business plan and start-up budget.

• Appropriate financing, as several entities and bodies in the Kingdom of Bahrain provide financing to small and micro enterprises, including projects for productive families such as the Family Bank, the Bahrain Development Bank, and Tamkeen agency.

• Specialized services, such as marketing and management of their products locally and internationally through continuous exhibitions and local sales outlets. The most important marketing outlets and distribution channels are: the Capital Mall for Bahraini Handmade Products, Sitra Centre for Productive Families specializing in the production of long-term packaged food under health supervision and Step Center for home projects. There is also the shop at Bahrain International Airport.

• Production units such as (productive kitchens, industrial sewing, and porcelain production).

• A design and innovation unit for product development, a unit for providing innovative consultations and training services to Bahraini productive families, to produce a new line of distinct products and designs. It also introduces all necessary consulting services, as well as practical and theoretical technical assistance needed for creating unusual innovative designs and ideas.

• The official forms he official forms for established projects for established projects which confirm the importance of sponsorship and participation of all governmental, private and public sectors. This is carried out in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Resolution No. (39) of 2010 on the regulation of productive activity at home (the productive home), in order to ensure the legal environment for productive families project to work through a legal framework that helps facilitate production and marketing.

mployment (job) fairs: During 2016, the Ministry has adopted a new policy for recruitment operations by organizing specialized job fairs and exhibitions. These fairs are mainly hold for introducing quality job opportunities and value-added jobs with a financial reward to achieve job stability for Bahraini labour. Such exhibitions also pave the way for competition between owners of similar industries or activities for displaying their vacancies simultaneously and benefiting from the organizational services and supporting programs provided by the Ministry.