Saudi Arabia’s female labour force participation rate reached a new high of 36.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2024, marking continued progress in the kingdom’s efforts to boost women’s economic involvement, according to official data released on Tuesday.
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reported that the employment-to-population ratio among Saudi females rose by 0.5 percentage points to 31.3 per cent, while young Saudi women aged 15-24 saw their workforce participation increase by one percentage point to 18 per cent.
However, the overall unemployment rate edged up to 7.8 per cent in the third quarter, a 0.7 percentage point increase from the previous quarter, though still showing an annual improvement of one percentage point compared to the same period in 2023.
The total labour force participation rate for Saudi nationals climbed to 51.5 per cent, up 0.7 percentage points both quarterly and annually, while the employment-to-population ratio reached 47.4 per cent.
Saudi male participation in the workforce also showed gains, with the rate increasing by 0.6 percentage points to 66.9 per cent. The core working-age group (25-54 years) saw their participation rate rise to 69.4 per cent.
The data revealed that Saudi job seekers typically use an average of five different methods to find employment, with 87.7 per cent relying on personal networks, while 75 per cent directly approach employers. The government’s Unified National Employment Platform (Jadarat) was used by 71.2 per cent of job seekers.
These figures come as the kingdom continues its push to diversify its economy and reduce unemployment under its Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to transform the kingdom’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues.
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