A United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government White Paper, The UAE and the Future of Work, reports that by 2020, ownership of personal internet devices will have risen from 2010 to 866%. Between 2006 and 2016 the number of women in work more than doubled from 20% to 48% and there is growing demand for gender equality. Levels of youth unemployment are also rising and the government is looking to businesses to prepare the next generation for employment.

For me, the UAE trends seem to be in sync with what is happening in the UK:

• Tech savvy millennials are looking for flexible ways of working
• Work flexibility and benefits need to be adaptable (especially where working parents and carers are concerned)
• Children in primary school today need skills for jobs that don't yet exist
• Handling data is becoming much more of a security issue

What do you think? Are labour markets internationally facing similar issues?

Are there insights which can be shared amongst HR professionals which would be of use in any nation?

In your role, do you focus on national practices or is it useful to have a sense of what international markets are doing?