Nine in ten professionals in the Middle East and North Africa have friends and relatives who have been hit by unemployment. But times are changing, as people feel the job market in the MENA region is picking up, according to a recent poll by Bayt.com. So what are the positive signs of change in the Arab job market?

The below infographic displays the findings of Bayt.com’s “Workplace Dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa” poll which saw 9,845 respondents covering the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Highlights from the infographic include:

• 63% of Middle East and North Africa job seekers feel the job market is picking up.
• 20% of job seekers blame the educational system for being ill-prepared for the current job market.
• 54% of professionals are active job seekers who apply regularly, compared to 46% who are passive job seekers who wait for employers to find them.
• 30% of professionals feel the biggest turn-off in a manager is a lack of vision.
• Top industries perceived to be employing the most talent are oil and gas, IT, and telecom.

Check out the full infographic below for more details on workplace preferences and trends in the Arab world, or click on the image for a larger version.