Saudi Arabia has witnessed a notable rise in women’s participation in the labor force, as highlighted in the latest Labor Market Bulletin released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) for the third quarter of 2024.
The data indicates that the unemployment rate among Saudis reached 7.8 percent in Q3 2024, which marks a rise of 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, yet shows a decrease of 1 percentage point from the same period last year. The bulletin reveals that the overall labor force, encompassing both Saudi and non-Saudi workers, stood at 66.6 percent in Q3, reflecting a 0.4 percentage point increase from Q2 2024.
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Growth in Saudi labor force
Among Saudi nationals, the labor force participation grew by 0.7 percentage points in Q3 2024, reaching 51.5 percent, which is an annual increase of 0.7 percentage points. The employment-to-population ratio for Saudis also saw an uptick of 0.2 percentage points, climbing to 47.4 percent, with a year-on-year growth of 1.1 percentage points.
Advancements for Saudi women
The bulletin underscores the advancement of Saudi women’s involvement in the workforce, which increased by 0.8 percentage points to 36.2 percent during this period. The employment-to-population ratio for Saudi women rose by 0.5 percentage points to 31.3 percent. For young Saudi women aged 15–24, labor force participation saw a significant increase of 1 percentage point, reaching 18 percent, while their employment-to-population ratio improved by 0.6 percentage points to 13.6 percent in Q3 2024.
Young Saudi men’s participation
In parallel, the participation rate among young Saudi men also grew, rising by 1.1 percentage points to 34.6 percent. Overall, the participation of Saudi men in the labor force increased by 0.6 percentage points, reaching 66.9 percent, with the employment-to-population ratio hitting 63.7 percent.
For Saudi men and women within the prime working-age group of 25–54 years, labor force participation rose by 0.7 percentage points to 69.4 percent, while the employment-to-population ratio saw a boost of 0.3 percentage points, reaching 64.8 percent.
