Q1 2021	Q2 2021	Q3 2021	Q4 2021	Q1 2022	Q2 2022	Q3 2022	Q4 2022	Q1 2023	Q2 2023	Q3 2023	Q4 2023	Q1 2024	Q2 2024	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025
Managers	59,593	N.A.	58,084	59,943	56,578	60,605	N.A.	72,390	86,267	88,204	97,626	101,704	112,483	117,229	122,788	128,916	133,567
Professionals	411,122	N.A.	414,710	430,871	427,052	443,652	N.A.	476,672	637,863	636,038	683,932	695,349	728,790	747,254	768,421	791,859	807,823
Technicians and associate professionals	546,134	N.A.	513,198	519,965	468,542	465,679	N.A.	466,276	527,690	524,435	525,704	520,995	537,090	549,211	556,135	585,931	590,778
Clerical support workers	53,384	N.A.	49,460	48,845	43,931	43,134	N.A.	41,084	49,311	48,764	47,423	48,307	48,906	50,184	51,172	51,311	52,580
Service and sales workers	291,042	N.A.	268,399	279,740	288,338	358,485	N.A.	377,223	477,037	481,255	513,460	519,819	554,999	571,991	583,407	597,509	611,852
Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers	39,023	N.A.	35,973	42,967	40,388	23,923	N.A.	24,655	32,113	30,941	29,828	29,209	26,061	32,613	33,598	33,679	33,429
Craft and related trades workers	1,003,685	N.A.	893,833	905,384	832,316	866,260	N.A.	925,634	1,109,393	1,112,592	1,227,008	1,219,812	1,249,368	1,255,352	1,245,444	1,246,231	1,250,151
Plant and machine operators, and assemblers	699,046	N.A.	644,503	685,202	644,041	679,059	N.A.	736,219	951,124	960,110	992,940	997,973	1,077,856	1,119,151	1,158,355	1,200,514	1,233,514
Elementary occupations	3,178,852	N.A.	3,018,243	3,305,055	3,575,105	3,521,264	N.A.	4,175,442	3,879,858	3,926,310	3,951,596	3,928,787	4,248,284	4,454,259	4,625,076	4,897,848	5,158,320
Other Occupations	998	N.A.	933	12,524	346,698	636,608	N.A.	46,028	57,191	55,233	46,674	42,348	38,910	37,099	34,023	10,915	10,873
Not specified	18,913	N.A.	125,741	0	0	0	N.A.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	6,301,792	N.A.	6,023,077	6,290,496	6,722,989	7,098,669	N.A.	7,341,623	7,807,847	7,863,882	8,116,191	8,104,303	8,622,747	8,934,343	9,178,419	9,544,713	9,882,887

Source: Register-based Labour Market Statistics, General Authority for Statistics (GAStat)

1. Data collection methodology

LFS were first conducted in 2001 and became bi-annual after 2006. Data were collected through nationally
representative household sample surveys, which sampling was based on most recent censuses.
Since 2016, Labour Force Surveys have been conducted and published on a quarterly basis, based on a
household telephone survey conducted by GAStat. Employment data extracted from administrative records
were also introduced as a complement to the results of Labour Force Surveys in Labour Market Statistics’
publications, starting on Q1 2017.

The present data is taken from administrative records.

Population of reference: workers subject to the rule of the General Organization of Social Insurance (GOSI):

a. contributors on the job who are subject to social insurance laws and regulations in the private and government sector;
b. new contributors, and contributors who terminated their contribution to social insurance during the quarter.

Figures of workers in Labor Market statistics which were derived from administrative records do not include the following category:
1-Workers in the military and security sectors
2- Workers who are not registered in the civil service, social insurance (GOSI) and domestic workers’ records, which include:
– Saudis working for their own businesses and are not subjected to the labor regulations, also, not registered in social
such as those who work in delivery through electronic apps
– Saudi employers who work in establishments and not registered in the social insurance
– Non-Saudi staff working in foreign international, political or military missions

3- Non-Saudi employees who come to the Kingdom for work that normally takes less than three months to be completed.

Definitions and categories used by GAStat in Labour Markets Statistics (employment; unemployment; occupation and activity sectors, etc.) are based on international standards:
For LFS methodology and definitions, see metadata section in report, and:
https://database.stats.gov.sa/Methodologies/En_Documents/03_Labor%20Market%20Bulletin%20Methodology,%20Fourth%20Quarter%202020%20_%20General%20Authority%20for%20Statistics.pdf
https://database.stats.gov.sa/Methodologies/En_Documents/03_Labor%20Market%20Bulletin%20Methodology,%20Fourth%20Quarter%202020%20_%20General%20Authority%20for%20Statistics.pdf

Classification of occupations: Saudi classification of occupations, based on ISCO-08.

https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/page/292
This classification was adopted in Q1 2021.

2. Institution which provides data 

General Authority for Statistics (GAStat)

3. Data availability 

Since 2021, GAStat has been publishing separately the employment data taken from administrative records,
and unemployment/inactivity data as well as general indicators, calculated from the results of the field
interviews conducted by GAStat (Labour Force Survey).
The time-series was built using the quarterly Register-based Labour Market Statistics for given quarters
2023-2025: available at:

https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/statistics-tabs/-/categories/417515?tab=436312&category=417515
Before 2023: available in the “archived data”:
https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/statistics?index=1317550
“social statistics”, and “labour force”
https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/statistics-tabs?tab=436312&category=1333429

Last date of access: 26 June 2025.

Keywords: Employment, Female Employment, Saudi Arabia, National & Foreign Labour, Highly Skilled Labour, Low-Skilled Labour

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