Saudi Arabia unemployment falls to 9.7%

Agencies | Riyadh

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Unemployment in Saudi Arabia among citizens fell to 9.7% in the second quarter of 2022.

The rate of joblessness among citizens fell from 11.3% in the second quarter of 2021, and eased 0.4 percentage points quarter on quarter according to data from the General Authority for Statistics published on Thursday.

Overall unemployment in the kingdom stood at 5.8% in Q2, down from 6.6% a year earlier.

Workforce participation among female citizens is also on the rise; unemployment in this category fell to 19.3% in Q2, down from 22.3% in the year-ago period, making up almost 36% of the Saudi labour force.

Major sectors that have recorded growth in jobs for Saudis include technology and communications, tourism and logistics, in line with Vision 2030 objectives to grow non-oil sectors of the economy.