The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the "Labor Market Statistics Q1 2020” on its official website www.stats.gov.sa [1]. Data in these statistics do not yet reflect the impact of Covid-19 crisis as they were collected early in the first quarter. The total unemployment rate stood at (5.7%) in Q1 2020.

The Labor force participation rate for the total population (aged 15 years and over) increased by (1.8) percentage points compared to Q1 of 2019, reaching (58.2%). Male Labor force participation rate was (80.4%), while the rate of participation of women in the Labor force was (25.4%), the Labor Market Statistics results noted.

Compared to Q4 of 2019, Saudi unemployment rate decreased from (12.0%) to (11.8%) in Q1 2020. Saudi female’s unemployment rate reached (28.2%), a decrease of (2.6) percentage points. Saudi male’s unemployment rate (aged 15 years and over) reached (5.6%), with an increase of (0.7) percentage points.

Based on the administrative data, Saudi and non-Saudi employees amounted to (13,635,612) individuals. The total number of Saudi employees (males and females) reached (3,203,423) individuals, (2,066,553) Saudi males (1,136,870) and Saudi females, based on the Labor Market Statistics results.

Saudi job seekers (males and females), based on the administrative sources, is at (1,015,820) individuals, where Saudi males accounted for (186,969) and Saudi females accounted for (828,851). 

The participation rate in the Labor force for Saudi males and females (aged 15 years and over) fell by (0.5) percentage points to (46.2%) compared to Q1 2020. The Saudi male participation rate in the Labor force fell by (0.8) percentage points from the previous quarter, reaching (65.8%), while the Saudi female participation rate fell by (0.1) percentage points from the previous quarter, reaching (25.9%), compared to the previous quarter.

GASTAT has two main data sources to produce the Labor Market Statistics. The Labor Force Survey conducted by GASTAT and administrative data sources. Survey data are collected from a representative sample of households spread out across all administrative regions in Saudi Arabia. The administrative sources include data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Human Resources Development Fund, General Organization for Social Insurance, and National Information Center.