Saudis Show Decrease in Unemployment Rate in Q3 2023, Despite Rise Compared to Q2
The unemployment rate for Saudi citizens saw mixed results in the third quarter of 2023, witnessing a decrease compared to the same period in 2022, but an increase in comparison to the second quarter of the current year. According to the latest data, the Saudi unemployment rate was 8.6% at the end of Q3 2023, up from 8.3% in the second quarter, but substantially down from 9.9% in Q3 2022. In contrast, the unemployment rate for non-Saudi citizens remained stable at 1.5% across the quarters. Saudi Arabia’s total unemployment rate was at 5.1% in the third quarter, slightly up from the prior quarter’s 4.9%, albeit still lower than 5.8% from the previous year. The kingdom’s labor force participation was slightly up by 0.1% at 60.9%, and the participation of Saudi women in the workforce saw a more noticeable 0.6% rise, taking the rate to 35.9%.