Saudi Arabia Jobless Rate Hits Record Low

The unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia rose to 3.4% in the third quarter of 2025, up from 3.2% in the previous period. The jobless rate stood at 7.5% for Saudi nationals and 1.4% for non-Saudis. By gender, unemployment among females fell to 9.4% from 11.3% in Q2, while the rate for males declined to 2.2% from 4.3%. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate eased to 66.9% from 67.1%, and the employment-to-population ratio slipped to 64.6% from 65.0%. Survey data showed that 95.3% of unemployed Saudis are willing to accept private-sector jobs. Among them, 61.0% of women and 42.7% of men are willing to commute for at least an hour, while 70.6% of women and 86.7% of men are open to working eight hours or more per day.

The unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia rose to 3.2% in the second quarter of 2025, from a record low of 2.8% in the previous period. Among genders, the jobless rate for both Saudi females (11.3% vs 10.5% in Q1) and Saudi males (4.3% vs 4.0%). Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate went down to 67.1% from 68.2% in the first quarter. The employment-to-population ratio edged lower to 65.0% in Q2 from 66.3% in the previous three-month period.

The overall unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia fell to 2.8% in Q1 of 2025 from 3.5% in Q4 of 2024, marking the lowest level since records began in 1999. Among genders, the jobless rate declined for both Saudi females (10.5% vs. 11.9% in Q4) and Saudi males (4.0% vs. 4.3%). The overall labor force participation rate increased to 68.2% from 66.4% in Q4. Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio rose to 66.3% in Q1 from 64.0% in the previous quarter.