Unemployment among Saudis unchanged at 12.8% in Q4

The unemployment rate among Saudi Arabian citizens stabilized at 12.8 percent quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2017, according to data from the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. 

The unemployment rate among Saudi males and females reached 7.5 percent and 31.0 percent, respectively. While unemployment among all population in the Kingdom stood at 6.0 percent in the fourth quarter -- 5.8 percent higher than Q3 2017, with 3.2 percent among males and 21.1 percent among females.

As at Q4, a total of 13.58 million individuals were reported employed in the Kingdom. Men accounted for 84.8 percent, or 11.52 million, of total labour force, while women represented 15.2 percent, or 2.06 million of those employed.

About 10.42 million expats were employed, representing 76.7 percent of the total employed population, while nationals accounted for just 23.3 percent, or 3.16 million.

Most of those employed reside in Riyadh, Makkah and the Eastern Region (around 8.81 million or 64.9 percent of total employed population), of which 27.5 percent are nationals.

Saudi job seekers hit 1.09 million, of which men represented 16.1 percent, or 175,000, while women accounted for 83.9 percent, or 911,000, 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.