For the second quarter in a row: a decrease in unemployment rates and an increase in the economic participation rate of Saudis
GASTAT: The unemployment rate of the total population and the Saudis decreased during the first quarter of 2019 compared to the last quarter of 2018
On Sunday Ramadhan 28th, 1440H. (corresponding to June 2nd, 2019), GASTAT released the Labour Market Bulletin for the first quarter of 2019 on its official website (www.stats.gov.sa [1]). The bulletin is based on the estimates of the Labour Force Survey that is conducted by GASTAT on a quarterly basis as well as the labour market data from the administrative records available at the related entities (Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Civil Affairs, General Organization for Social Insurance, Human Resources Development Fund, and National Information Center).
The results of the 2019 first quarter bulletin, based on the estimates of the Labour Force Survey, showed a decrease in the unemployment rate of total Saudis (15 years and above) which reached (12.5%) compared to (12.7%) in the previous quarter. In the first quarter of 2019, the Saudi males’ unemployment rate reached (6.6%), whereas it reached (31.7%) for Saudi females. The unemployment rate of the total population (Saudis and non-Saudis) (15 years and above) decreased to (5.7%) compared to (6.0%) in the fourth quarter of 2018.
The results of the survey also showed that the economic participation rate in the first quarter of 2019 for total Saudis (15 years and above) increased to (42.3%) compared to (42.0%) in the previous quarter. The economic participation rate among Saudi females increased to (20.5%) compared to (20.2%) in the previous quarter, and increased to (63.3%) compared to (63.0%) in the previous quarter. Also, the bulletin showed that the total employed Saudis (males and females) according to administrative records data increased slightly compared to the fourth quarter of last year, where the number of Saudi employees (males and females) reached (3,112,029).
According to the results of the bulletin and based on the data from the Ministry of Civil Service (Jadarah and Sa’ed) and the data from the Human Resources Development Fund (Taqat), the total number of Saudi job seekers reached (945,323) based on the administrative records in Saudi Arabia for the first quarter of 2019.
GASTAT has defined jobseekers as Saudi individuals (males and females) registered in job seeking programs of the Ministry of Civil Service (Jadarh and Sa’ed) as well as Human Resources Development Fund (Taqat) where they entered their personal data, qualifications, experiences, and CVs electronically. Jobseekers included in the administrative records are not subjected to the internationally recognized criteria and conditions of the International Labor Organization (ILO); hence, not all of them are considered unemployed individuals. Therefore, not every job seeker is an unemployed individual; they may be looking for a work while still working in another job, as in the case of job seekers in the government sector where they work for their own business and not registered as employees in the governmental administrative records (Civil Service, Social Insurance, commercial registers, and municipal licenses) .