07 May 2024

Saudi private sector employment reaches 11.27m in April: official data

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s private sector has created more job opportunities, with the total number of employees reaching 11.27 million workers in April, official data showed. 

According to the Saudi National Labor Observatory report, there was a net increase in citizen employment for April, with 18,535 individuals newly joining the private sector workforce. 

 

Among these figures, there are over 2.35 million Saudi nationals, comprising more than 970,200 female workers and over 1.38 million male employees. 

On the other hand, NLO data showed that the total number of residents employed in the private sector exceeded 8.91 million individuals, comprising over 8.55 million male workers and only 364,900 female employees.

The report provides an overview of the Saudi private sector, highlighting a dynamic workforce of over 9.9 million male workers and more than 1.3 million female workers, representing diverse nationalities and playing integral roles in sector operations. 

In February, the total number of employees in the Saudi private sector reached 11.1 million, marking a 0.9 percent increase from the previous month, according to an NLO release. 

The national observatory report revealed that out of the total, 2.3 million were Saudi nationals, while 8.8 million were residents of the Kingdom belonging to different nationalities. 

That data reflected a positive trend in the employment industry as the private sector continues to expand its workforce, creating opportunities for Saudi citizens. 

Moreover, an analysis of the Saudi national workforce revealed that while 961,690 employees were females, 1.4 million were males. 

Meanwhile, among the 8.8 million non-Saudi workers, 348,892 were women, while 8.4 million were men. 

In February alone, the net growth in jobs for Saudi nationals as well as residents stood at 26,694, indicating a steady increase in employment within the private sector. 

Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification efforts have transformed the Kingdom into a hub for employment opportunities, propelled by bold giga-projects such as NEOM, which attract fresh talent into the construction sector.  

NLO, a governmental organization, is tasked with monitoring and analyzing labor market trends and dynamics in the country. It serves as a crucial resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders interested in understanding and addressing issues related to employment, workforce development, and labor market regulations