Bahrain has issued 37.4 percent fewer new work visas during the second quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008

The Labour Market Regulatory Authority issued 27,665 new work visas between April and June this year, down on last year’s figures, officials told the Gulf Daily News.

This was also 6,798 fewer than during the first quarter of the year representing a slowdown in the kingdom’s jobs market as recruiters take on less new staff.

The number of renewals increased over the same time as employers hang on to existing staff. Official figures showed that 29,334 visas were renewed in the second quarter compared to 26,449 during the first quarter.

The paper said the number of terminations had also fallen by 5.5 percent since January this year and that a total of 18,225 visas had been terminated between April and June this year.

Meanwhile, the total number of people employed in Bahrain reached 599,017 by the end of the second quarter. This represents an annual increase of 13 percent, the paper reported.

However, when this year’s quarterly figures were compared there was a significant slowdown in the labour market, the paper said.