Riyadh records lowest job rate in S Arabia

RIYADH, Apr 03 (Arab News): Riyadh has recorded the lowest unemployment rate across Saudi Arabia of 6.7 per cent, as the Kingdom steadily progresses in achieving the goals outlined in its Vision 2030.
According to the latest data released by the General Authority for Statistics, the unemployment rate in Madinah was recorded at 12.2 per cent, followed by Jazan at 11 per cent and Makkah at 7 per cent at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.
The Kingdom has set a target unemployment rate of 7 per cent by 2030.
The report further noted that the unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province stands at 6.9 per cent by the end of 2022.
The unemployment rate among Saudis also decreased significantly in the fourth quarter of 2022, reaching 8 per cent, compared to 9.9 per cent in the third quarter.
The unemployment rate of the overall population in Saudi Arabia in the fourth quarter reached 4.8 per cent.
"The impressive decrease in the unemployment rate resulted from a double effect of the decrease in labor force participation and at the same time the employment growth," GASTAT said in its report.
The GASTAT report further added that the unemployment rate among Saudis with a doctorate degree was the lowest at 0.2 per cent.
On the other hand, Saudis who had a bachelor's degree or its equivalent had the highest unemployment rate of 9.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The unemployment rate among Saudi diploma holders and high school graduates stood at 8.1 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively, the report added.
In terms of unemployment among Saudis according to educational specializations, the highest rate was in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics which stood at 12.8 per cent, followed by arts and humanities at 11.6 percent, and communications and information technology at 10 per cent.