GASTAT: Saudi Unemployment Drops to 7.5% in Q3 2025 as Female Labor Participation Rises

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced the Labor Market Statistics for the third quarter of 2025, showing a year-on-year decline in the unemployment rate, which reached 7.5% among Saudis, down 0.3 percentage points compared with the same period in 2024, along with notable progress in indicators of female participation in economic activity.
 The bulletin showed that unemployment among Saudi women recorded a year-on-year decline, with the rate standing at 12.1%, down 1.5 percentage points compared with the third quarter of 2024, reflecting the effectiveness of programs and initiatives aimed at supporting women’s empowerment and enhancing employment opportunities.
 The results also indicated an increase in the labor force participation rate of Saudi men to 64.3%, up by 0.3 percentage points, while the employment-to-population ratio of Saudi women rose by three percentage points over the past five years to reach 29.7%, underscoring positive shifts in the structure of the Saudi labor market.
 The overall labor force participation rate for the total population reached 66.9%, reflecting a quarterly decline of 0.2 percentage points alongside a year-on-year increase of 0.3 percentage points. Meanwhile, the employment-to-working-age population ratio reached 64.6%, recording a decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared with the second quarter of 2025, while posting a year-on-year increase of 0.5 percentage points compared with the third quarter of 2024.
 GASTAT stressed that these indicators reflect the continuation of national efforts to develop the Saudi labor market and expand opportunities for community participation in building a prosperous economy, achieving balance and sustainability in the labor market in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and its related programs for human capital development and economic growth.