The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reported that 16,500 Saudi citizens joined the local labour market for the first time in June 2024. The total number of citizens employed in the private sector during June exceeded 2.3 million, comprising 1.4 million men and 957,000 women.
The National Labor Observatory (NLO) released detailed figures showing that the total number of expatriates in the private sector reached about 9 million, including 8.7 million men and 376,000 women.
The GASTAT report indicated a steady decline in the unemployment rate for all Saudis, which dropped to 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2024 from 7.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023. This rate is slightly above the Vision 2030 target of 7 percent.
By the end of May, the total number of private sector workers was approximately 11.3 million. Among these, Saudi citizens accounted for 2.3 million, with 1.3 million men and 971,000 women. Expatriates made up around 9 million, including 8.6 million men and 371,000 women.
The report also highlighted a net growth in citizen jobs for May, with 30,800 Saudis joining the private sector for the first time.