Saudi Arabia: Employed population (aged 15 and above) by nationality (Saudi/ non-Saudi), sex and administrative region (Q4, 2023)

 

Saudis

Non-Saudis

Total

Males

Females

Total

Males

Females

Total

Males

Females

Total

Riyadh

1,026,468

698,269

1,724,737

3,556,070

203,004

3,759,074

4,582,538

901,273

5,483,811

Makkah

385,188

298,109

683,297

1,392,500

63,272

1,455,772

1,777,688

361,381

2,139,069

Madinah

92,019

63,797

155,816

262,437

11,828

274,265

354,456

75,625

430,081

Qassim

72,213

54,370

126,583

322,902

11,135

334,037

395,115

65,505

460,620

Eastern Province

469,165

235,216

704,381

1,416,392

52,543

1,468,935

1,885,557

287,759

2,173,316

Asir

88,973

75,336

164,309

248,125

15,979

264,104

337,098

91,315

428,413

Tabuk

33,602

27,626

61,228

91,126

3,536

94,662

124,728

31,162

155,890

Hail

29,457

24,722

54,179

112,302

4,362

116,664

141,759

29,084

170,843

Northern Borders

16,232

11,596

27,828

40,266

2,207

42,473

56,498

13,803

70,301

Jazan

44,621

39,521

84,142

129,877

5,074

134,951

174,498

44,595

219,093

Najran

31,295

20,754

52,049

104,549

3,640

108,189

135,844

24,394

160,238

Al-Baha

18,274

15,178

33,452

34,309

1,352

35,661

52,583

16,530

69,113

Al-Jouf

24,665

17,586

42,251

54,934

2,003

56,937

79,599

19,589

99,188

Outside the country

365

78

443

5

0

5

370

78

448

Undefined

486

66

552

14

1

15

500

67

567

Total

2,333,023

1,582,224

3,915,247

7,765,808

379,936

8,145,744

10,098,831

1,962,160

12,060,991

Domestic workers

0

0

0

2,716,735

1,109,778

3,826,513

2,716,735

1,109,778

3,826,513

Total

2,333,023

1,582,224

3,915,247

10,482,543

1,489,714

11,972,257

12,815,566

3,071,938

15,887,504

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

1. Data collection methodology and definitions used

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 the following sources:

1. Household telephone surveys conducted by GAStat.

2. Employment data extracted from administrative records, introduced as a complement to the results of Labour Force Surveys in Labour Market Statistics’ publications, starting on Q1 2017.

Types of data available from GAStat’s labour statistics’ publications, by source:

1. Household Telephone Surveys:

Estimates of labor force, unemployed individuals, and indicators of labor force

2. Administrative records:

– Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD)

(formerly Ministry of Labour and Social Development):

Supplies data on:

Government sector’s workers and Private sector visas.

– General Organization of Social Insurance (GOSI):

Supplies data on:

a. contributors on the job who are subject to social insurance laws and regulations in the private

and government sector (outside the civil service);

b. workers who terminated their contribution to social insurance during the quarter.

– National Information Center (NIC):

Supplies data on:

a. job seekers in the public and private sectors from the data of (Jadara and Sa’ed) in the MHRSD, at (Taqat) portal of the HRDF;

b. government sector and individuals’ visas;

c. numbers of 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 and social insurance 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 applications;

– 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 in the Kingdom for work contracts’ durations below three months.

The present data is taken from administrative records and refers to the employed population registered in the civil service, GOSI and as domestic worker.

The public (government) sector includes those subject to civil service regulations and government employees subject to insurance regulations (GOSI);

– The category of domestic workers in Arab states encompasses professions performed within the household, such as maids, cooks, waiters, valets, butlers, laundresses, gardeners, gatekeepers, stable-lads, chauffeurs, caretakers, governesses, babysitters, tutors, secretaries etc.

These professions are classified in the class 9700 of section T of the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC), Rev. 4.

See: Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division. “International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities Revision 4, ” Statistical Papers, Series M No. 4/Rev.4, New York: United Nations, 2008, p. 269

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/seriesm/seriesm_4rev4e.pdf.

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

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 the Register-based Labour Market Statistics- Q4, 2023

(English and Arabic versions)

https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/Register-based%20Labour%20Market%20Statistics-%20Q4%202023%20En.xlsx

https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/Register-based%20Labour%20Market%20Statistics-%20Q4%202023Ar.xlsx

Quarterly Register-based Labour Market Statistics reports are accessible from:

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

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

Date of access: 15 April 2024.

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

GLMM and GRC cannot guarantee that the link to access the source will not change; that the information will not be removed from the website it was obtained from; that no geo-blockages will be imposed; or that the information will not be available for any another reason.