The overall unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points y-o-y to 3.5% in 4Q 2024, according to Gastat’s latest labor market report (pdf). Unemployment for Saudis fell by 0.8 percentage points y-o-y to 7%, while expat unemployment rose by 0.6 percentage points to 1.5% y-o-y. Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio rose to 47.5% in 4Q 2024, up from 46.5% in the same quarter of the previous year.

On a quarterly basis, the overall unemployment rate was down by 0.2 percentage points from 3Q 2024. Local unemployment showed a 0.8 percentage-point decrease compared to 3Q 2024, while expat unemployment was up by 0.1 percentage points.

Women are becoming more active in the workforce: The unemployment rate for women fell 1.7 percentage points q-o-q to 11.9% during the quarter, while unemployment among men fell to 4.3%, down from 4.7% in 3Q 2024.

MEANWHILE- Saudi female youth (aged 15-24) saw a 0.3 percentage-point increase in the employment-to-population ratio, while the labor force participation rate saw a 0.7 percentage-point decrease, reaching 17.3%. Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio for Saudi male youth remained unchanged at 29.7%, while their participation rate dropped by 0.8 percentage points to 33.8%.

The primary methods for Saudis seeking employment remain unchanged: The most common job search strategy — used by 86.9% of job seekers — is reaching out to friends or family for leads. This is followed by submitting direct applications to employers (73.9%) and utilizing the national employment platform Jadarat (65.4%).

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