Saudi Arabia: Percent distribution of the Saudi and non-Saudi employed populations by sector of employment (Q2 2016-Q2 2023)

 

Public Sector*

Private Sector

Domestic sector

Other***

Total employed

Private business sector**

Agricultural sector

Saudis

non-Saudis

Total

Saudis

non-Saudis

Total

Saudis

non-Saudis

Total

Saudis

non-Saudis

Total

Saudis

non-Saudis

Total

Saudis

non-Saudis

Total

2016 Q2

69.0

3.4

31.5

30.7

74.4

55.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

21.7

12.4

0.3

0.6

0.4

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

2016 Q3

69.6

2.7

29.8

30.1

83.9

62.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

13.1

7.8

0.3

0.3

0.3

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

2016 Q4

68.8

3.2

29.6

30.7

78.7

59.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

17.6

10.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

2017 Q1

69.7

3.9

29.8

29.9

79.0

59.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

16.8

10.2

0.4

0.3

0.4

3,038,945

10,850,192

13,889,137

2017 Q2

71.4

4.0

31.0

28.3

81.5

60.2

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

14.1

8.4

0.2

0.4

0.3

3,052,449

10,788,709

13,841,158

2017 Q3

70.7

2.6

29.7

28.9

80.5

60.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

16.5

9.9

0.3

0.4

0.4

3,063,744

10,694,320

13,758,064

2017 Q4

70.3

3.7

30.5

29.3

78.9

58.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

16.9

10.1

0.4

0.5

0.5

3,163,846

10,417,295

13,581,141

2018 Q1

69.3

3.4

29.9

30.4

78.8

59.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

17.4

10.4

0.3

0.4

0.4

3,150,409

10,183,104

13,333,513

2018 Q2

70.7

3.5

30.2

28.9

77.0

57.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

19.2

11.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

3,125,343

9,892,723

13,018,066

2018 Q3

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

3,109,987

9,578,055

12,688,042

2018 Q4

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

N.A

3,111,199

9,429,419

12,540,618

2019 Q1

65.5

3.7

28.4

34.0

76.7

59.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

19.0

11.4

0.4

0.6

0.6

3,112,029

9,653,212

12,765,241

2019 Q2

64.2

3.8

28.7

35.5

77.3

60.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

18.4

10.8

0.3

0.5

0.5

3,090,248

9,766,784

12,857,032

2019 Q3

62.1

2.9

27.5

37.6

78.3

61.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

18.5

10.8

0.3

0.4

0.3

3,100,812

9,827,096

12,927,908

2019 Q4

61.6

3.2

28.0

38.0

75.9

59.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

20.4

11.8

0.3

0.4

0.4

3,170,272

10,220,703

13,390,975

2020 Q1

60.0

2.9

27.3

39.7

76.8

61.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

19.9

11.4

0.3

0.3

0.3

3,203,423

10,432,189

13,635,612

2020 Q2

59.3

4.3

28.6

40.4

70.9

57.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

24.5

13.7

0.2

0.3

0.3

3,171,422

10,459,032

13,630,454

2020 Q3

59.1

4.8

28.9

40.7

70.7

57.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

24.2

13.5

0.2

0.3

0.2

3,253,276

10,201,862

13,455,138

2020 Q4

54.0

4.7

27.3

45.8

71.4

59.6

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

23.6

12.8

0.2

0.3

0.2

3,252,198

10,066,500

13,318,698

2021 Q1

53.8

4.1

26.2

44.0

58.9

52.3

1.7

2.6

2.2

0.0

33.9

18.9

0.5

0.5

0.5

3,306,598

10,177,215

13,483,813

2021 Q2

54.8

3.8

26.6

43.4

60.8

53.0

1.0

2.3

1.7

0.0

32.5

18.0

0.8

0.7

0.7

3,280,014

9,619,874

12,899,888

2021 Q3

53.3

5.7

27.1

44.1

59.0

52.3

1.7

2.3

2.0

0.0

32.4

17.8

0.8

0.6

0.7

3,342,838

9,362,807

12,705,645

2021 Q4

52.8

4.1

26.7

45.2

65.0

55.8

1.4

2.8

2.2

0.0

27.5

14.7

0.7

0.5

0.7

3,450,057

9,595,181

13,045,238

2022 Q1

53.9

4.0

27.1

44.6

64.5

55.3

1.2

2.5

1.9

0.0

28.5

15.3

0.4

0.5

0.3

3,571,876

10,158,773

13,730,649

2022 Q2

52.5

3.6

27.2

45.8

67.4

56.9

1.3

2.6

2.0

0.0

26.2

13.5

0.5

0.2

0.3

3,638,144

10,531,619

14,169,763

2022 Q3

51.7

3.9

27.0

46.7

66.3

56.8

1.3

2.9

2.1

0.0

26.5

13.7

0.3

0.4

0.3

3,692,486

10,898,457

14,590,943

2022 Q4

53.1

4.3

28.1

45.3

69.3

57.6

1.3

2.3

1.8

0.0

23.7

12.1

0.3

0.4

0.5

3,770,631

10,987,727

14,758,358

2023 Q1

52.6

3.7

27.4

45.5

65.8

55.9

1.5

2.3

1.9

0.0

27.7

14.2

0.4

0.6

0.4

3,870,481

11,492,891

15,363,372

2023 Q2

52.1

3.7

27.2

45.9

67.1

56.8

1.4

3.0

2.2

0.0

25.7

13.2

0.6

0.5

0.6

3,857,097

11,597,971

15,455,068

Source: Labour Market Statistics, Statistical Database, General Authority for Statistics (GAStat)

1. Data collection methodology and definitions used

* Public sector: government, institution or company wholly owned by the government

**Private business sector or an activity owned by the individual (non-agricultural)

***Other: Non-profit organizations (non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations, mosques); international organisations, other and unspecified employment sector.

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 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 sectors;

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 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

2. Institution which provides data

General Authority for Statistics (GAStat)

3. Data availability

The percent time series were taken from GAStat’s statistical database:

Report Link:

https://database.stats.gov.sa/home/report/239

The numerical time-series (total employed) was taken from the Register-based Labour Market Statistics- Q4, 2022 (English and Arabic versions):

https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/LMS_2022_Q4_EN_1.xlsx

https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/LMS_2022_Q4_AR_1.xlsx

and from relevant quarterly Register-based Labour Market Statistics reports for 2023, accessible from:

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

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

Date of access: 30 March 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.