Arab News

RIYADH: Unemployment among Saudis fell to 10.1 percent in the first quarter of 2022 from 11 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to official data.

This is the lowest level since the second quarter of 2016, according to data compiled by Arab News, based on figures released by the General Authority for Statistics, also known as GASTAT.

The rate of unemployment declined faster among Saudi women, dropping by 3.2 percentage points to 20.2 percent.

Over the same period, for Saudi men the indicator slipped just 0.1 percentage points to 5.1 percent.

As for non-Saudis, the rate of unemployment fell 0.7 percentage points to 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

It dropped 0.4 percentage points to 1.6 percent among non-Saudi men, and by 2.6 percentage points to 6.4 percent among non-Saudi women.

The Kingdom’s total rate of unemployment — including Saudis and non-Saudis — eased by 0.9 percentage points to 6.0 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

At the same time, the labor force participation rate figures came in lower for Saudis and non-Saudis, slipping 1.3 percentage points and 0.6 percentage points to 50.1 percent and 74.8 percent for the respective nationality groups.