Saudi unemployment falls to 7.5% amid strong gains in female workforce participation
Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate declined to 7.5% in the third quarter of 2025, marking a year-on-year drop of 0.3 percentage points, according to the latest Labor Market Statistics released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The improvement was accompanied by notable advances in female participation in the labor market, Qazinform News Agency cites SPA.
GASTAT reported a significant reduction in unemployment among Saudi women, which fell to 12.1% - a decrease of 1.5 percentage points compared with the same period in 2024. The decline highlights the impact of government initiatives focused on women’s empowerment and expanding employment opportunities.
The data also showed a modest increase in labor force participation among Saudi men, rising by 0.3 percentage points to reach 64.3%. Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio for Saudi women climbed to 29.7%, reflecting a three-percentage-point increase over the past five years and signaling structural improvements in the labor market.
Overall labor force participation across the total population stood at 66.9%, representing a slight quarterly decrease of 0.2 percentage points but a year-on-year increase of 0.3 percentage points. The employment-to-working-age population ratio reached 64.6%, down 0.4 percentage points from the second quarter of 2025, yet up 0.5 percentage points compared with the third quarter of 2024.
GASTAT emphasized that these figures demonstrate continued national efforts to strengthen the Saudi labor market, broaden economic participation, and ensure balance and sustainability. The progress aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and its programs aimed at human capital development and long-term economic growth.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Saudi Arabia sees strong growth in non-oil exports in October 2025.
