Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate held steady at 3.5% during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASAT). This figure represents a minor 0.1 percentage point increase from the previous quarter but maintains a stable year-on-year performance.
The GASTAT reports that the overall labor force participation rate climbed to 67.4% during this period. Consequently, the Kingdom witnessed a 0.5 percentage point increase over the third quarter and a yearly growth of 1.0 percentage point. Analysts suggest that these figures reflect the success of ongoing economic reforms aimed at expanding the national workforce significantly.
The data specifically highlights that the unemployment rate for Saudi citizens dropped to 7.2% in the final quarter of 2025. Furthermore, the employment-to-population ratio for Saudis rose by 0.6 percentage points to reach 45.9% compared to the previous quarter. “The labor force participation rate for Saudis in Q4 of 2025 increased by 0.5 percentage points,” the report noted.
Empowerment of Saudi Women
Saudi female labor indicators showed remarkable progress as their participation rate increased by 0.8 percentage points to reach 34.5%. Simultaneously, the unemployment rate among Saudi females decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 10.3% compared to the previous quarter. Moreover, female youth aged 15-24 saw their employment-to-population ratio reach 13.5%, signaling a positive trend for the next generation.
Regarding Saudi males, the labor force participation rate increased to 64.7%, while the employment-to-population ratio remained stable at 61.1%. However, the unemployment rate for this demographic increased slightly to 5.6% when compared to the third quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, male youth experienced a 0.1 percentage point increase in their employment-to-population ratio, bringing that specific figure to 28%.
