Saudis leaving workforce push unemployment to a five-year low: Report

Unemployment among Saudi Arabia’s citizens fell to its lowest level in nearly five years, but the decline was partly driven by people dropping out of the labour force, unwelcome news for a crown prince who has put job creation for a youthful population at the center of his agenda.

The jobless rate decreased to 11.7 per cent in Q1 compared to 12.6 per cent in the Q4, continuing a strong downward trend after hitting a record at the height of the pandemic, according to data from the General Authority for Statis­tics.

However, labour force partici­pation for citizens also fell, from 51.2 per cent in the Q4 to 49.5 per cent in the first three months of the year — the sharpest drop since an economic downturn in 2017.