Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate hit a new low of 2.8 percent in the first quarter of 2025, marking a decrease of 0.7 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, and an annual decrease of 0.7 percentage points.
According to the latest report by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the overall labor force participation rate reached 68.2 percent, an increase of 1.8 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 and a yearly increase of 2.2 percentage points.
Saudi unemployment rate falls to 6.3 percent
The report also revealed that the unemployment rate among Saudi citizens in the first quarter of 2025 reached 6.3 percent, a 0.7 percentage point decrease compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, and a yearly decrease of 1.3 percentage points.
The results also indicated an increase of 0.5 percentage points in the employment-to-population ratio for Saudis compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching 48 percent, and an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024.
The labor force participation rate for Saudis also increased by 0.2 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching 51.3 percent. However, it marked a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Labor force participation rate among Saudi females rises to 36.3 percent
The GASTAT report also showed an increase in the labor force participation rate among Saudi females by 0.3 percentage points, reaching 36.3 percent. Additionally, the employment-to-population ratio of Saudi females increased by 0.7 percentage points, reaching 32.5 percent. At the same time, the unemployment rate of Saudi females decreased by 1.4 percentage points, recording 10.5 percent, compared to the previous quarter of 2024.
As for Saudi males, their labor force participation rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 66.4 percent. Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio increased to 63.8 percent. In addition, the unemployment rate among Saudi males decreased to 4 percent compared to the previous quarter of 2024.
Saudi female youth participation grows
The report also revealed that Saudi female youth aged 15-24 experienced a 0.7 percentage point increase in the employment-to-population ratio, reaching 14.6 percent. Additionally, there was a 1.1 percentage point increase in the participation rate, reaching 18.4 percent. However, the unemployment rate increased by 0.8 percentage points, reaching 20.7 percent compared to the previous quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio for Saudi male youth showed a 0.5 percentage point decrease, reaching 29.2 percent. In addition, the group recorded a 0.8 percentage point decrease in the labor force participation rate, reaching 33 percent. The Saudi male youth unemployment rate also decreased by 0.6 percentage points, reaching 11.6 percent compared to the previous quarter of 2024.
Jadarat platform supports decline in Saudi unemployment
Saudi job seekers used a variety of active job search methods, with an average of 4.3 active methods per job seeker. Directly applying to employers was the most commonly used job search method, recording 75.8 percent, followed by the use of the national unified employment platform (Jadarat) by 74.6 percent, and posted/updated resumes on professional/social networking sites by 64.5 percent.
The results also revealed that 94.8 percent of unemployed Saudis are willing to accept job offers in the private sector. Additionally, 58.7 percent of unemployed Saudi females and 40.4 percent of unemployed Saudi males are willing to commute to work for at least one hour. Furthermore, 76.1 percent of unemployed Saudi females and 86.3 percent of unemployed Saudi males indicated that they are willing to work for eight hours or more per day.
