Unemployment rate among Saudis unchanged at 12.8% in Q3

Unemployment rate among Saudis stabilized at 12.8 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in Q3 2017, according to data from the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics. 

Unemployment rate among Saudi males and females reached 7.4 percent and 32.7 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, unemployment rate among total population across the Kingdom stood at 5.8 percent in the third quarter, down from 6 percent in Q2 2017, with 3.2 percent among males and 21.1 percent among females.

As of Q3, a total of 13.76 million individuals were employed in the Kingdom. Men accounted for 85 percent, or 11.71 million, while women represented 15 percent, or 2.05 million of those employed.

About 11.69 million expats were employed, representing 78 percent of the total employed population, while nationals accounted for just 22 percent, or 3.06 million.

Most of those employed reside in Riyadh, Makkah and the Eastern Region (around 8.9 million or 65 percent of total employed population), of which 26 percent are nationals.

Saudi job seekers hit 1.23 million, of which men represented 15 percent of 191,000, while women accounted for 85 percent, or 1.04 million, the data added.

Job seeking was the highest within the 25-29 age bracket. About 50 percent of the job seekers were university-graduate Saudis.