Saudi Arabia: Workers who discontinued their registration with the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI), by nationality (Saudi/non-Saudi) and sex (Q1 2020-Q2 2024)

Quarters Saudis Non-Saudis Total
Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total
2020 Q1 108,852 68,492 177,344 416,136 22,595 438,731 524,988 91,087 616,075
2020 Q2 61,889 54,201 116,090 160,554 7,654 168,208 222,443 61,855 284,298
2020 Q3 111,051 73,924 184,975 475,522 20,023 495,545 586,573 93,947 680,520
2020 Q4 172,819 122,939 295,758 449,539 21,205 470,744 622,358 144,144 766,502
2021 Q1 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
2021 Q2 142,314 154,932 297,246 430,412 20,895 451,307 572,726 175,827 748,553
2021 Q3 198,656 146,979 345,635 616,847 24,662 641,509 815,503 171,641 987,144
2021 Q4 178,102 120,429 298,531 665,610 27,310 692,920 843,712 147,739 991,451
2022 Q1 85,712 116,751 202,463 17,519 223,802 241,321 103,231 340,553 443,784
2022 Q2 38,787 40,185 78,972 59,460 5,974 65,434 98,247 46,159 144,406
2022 Q3 45,475 44,796 90,271 52,555 4,640 57,195 98,030 49,436 147,466
2022 Q4 41,387 34,603 75,990 113,691 7,679 121,370 155,078 42,282 197,360
2023 Q1 44,277 35,822 80,099 53,718 7,216 60,934 97,995 43,038 141,033
2023 Q2 38,736 41,279 80,015 82,464 7,135 89,599 121,200 48,414 169,614
2023 Q3 44,239 41,367 85,606 74,900 6,492 81,392 119,139 47,859 166,998
2023 Q4 43,302 40,154 83,456 96,657 7,428 104,085 139,959 47,582 187,541
2024 Q1 41,051 39,142 80,193 94,346 5,748 100,094 135,397 44,890 180,287
2024 Q2 42,821 47,142 89,963 61,597 6,380 67,977 104,418 53,522 157,940

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.

who stopped being registered with GOSI during the period (outflows)

Registration with GOSI is compulsory for workers in the private sector and non-civil servants in the government sector, who make up about 70 percent of foreign workers.

The present data does not incorporate:
1. Civil servants
2. Domestic workers

Figures of workers in Labor Market statistics which were derived from administrative records do not include the following categories:

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 insurance, 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:

https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/node/9787

https://database.stats.gov.sa/Methodologies/En_Documents/03_Labor%20Market%20Bulletin%20Methodology,%20Fourth%20Quarter%202020%20_%20General%20Authority%20for%20Statistics.pdf

https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/node/9787

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 present time-series was taken from Register-based Labour Market Statistics publications, given quarters and years.

(English and Arabic versions)

https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/814

https://www.stats.gov.sa/ar/814

Date of access: 10 October 2024.

Keywords: Employment, Female Employment, Saudi Arabia, National & Foreign Labour

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