The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) published on its official website www.stats.gov.sa on Sunday, June 30, 2024, the Labor Market Publication for the first quarter of 2024. This publication highlights the changes in the labor market following a reassessment of data from the fourth quarter of 2023 based on the Saudi Census 2022.

GASTAT reported that the overall unemployment rate, including both Saudis and non-Saudis, remained relatively stable at 3.5%, compared to 3.4% in the last quarter of 2023. Additionally, the unemployment rate for Saudis decreased to 7.6% in Q1 2024 from 7.8% in the previous quarter. The unemployment rate for Saudi females recorded a slight increase to 14.2% in Q1 2024, up from 13.9% in the previous quarter. However, the unemployment rate for Saudi males decreased to 4.2% from 4.6% in the previous quarter.

The labor force data for Q1 2024 showed an increase in the labor force participation rate for Saudis, reaching 51.4% compared to 50.4% in the previous quarter, while the rate for the total labor force (including Saudis and non-Saudis) decreased to 66.0% from 67.0% in Q4 2023.

The results of the Q1 2024 of the Labor Market Publication also revealed an increase in the labor force participation rate for Saudi females , which reached 35.8% compared to 35.0% in the previous quarter, while for Saudi males, the rate increased to 66.4% from 65.4% in the previous quarter.

GASTAT emphasizes that the Labor Market Publication relies on a household survey conducted by GASTAT under the category of social statistics. This survey gathers data through a representative sample of the population from various administrative regions in the Kingdom. By completing an electronic questionnaire with detailed questions, the survey provides estimates and indicators related to the labor force of the population aged 15 and above in Saudi Arabia. This includes estimating the population within and outside the labor force, as well as calculating important labor market indicators such as the unemployment rate, labor force participation rate, and others.