Attendance is now key in unemployment aid cases

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Yousif Khalaf, Minister of Labour, told Parliament that attendance at job interviews, rather than disputed claims of rejected offers, is now the determining factor in how unemployment benefits are assessed in Bahrain, amid calls for tighter oversight of jobseekers’ cases.

The ministry said reports that jobseekers’ files are being “closed” were incorrect, stressing that all records remain active in its employment system until a person is officially registered as employed with the Social Insurance Organisation.

According to the ministry, jobseekers are classified into those eligible for unemployment insurance under the law and those who do not meet its conditions, but in both cases their records remain open and included in national employment statistics.

The clarification came in response to a parliamentary proposal calling for additional safeguards to ensure that claims of rejected job offers are properly verified before impacting unemployment aid.

Lawmakers cited concerns raised by jobseekers who said employers had reported work refusals that the jobseekers denied. Some of these cases were later challenged in court, where rulings reportedly supported the jobseekers due to lack of evidence.

In response, the ministry said it had already revised its approach and, since 30 November 2025, now relies solely on recorded attendance at job interviews — marked simply as attended or not attended — rather than conflicting accounts between employers and applicants.

It added that interviews are conducted in the presence of ministry staff, who also guide unsuccessful candidates towards alternative employment or training opportunities.