Saudi Unemployment Rate Reaches 6.5% in Q2 2026

Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate stood at 6.5% in the second quarter of 2026, down from 6.8% in the same period of 2025, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics. The rate was slightly higher than the 6.4% recorded in the first quarter of 2026.

The authority said the labour market index was updated in 2025 using 2024 population census data based on the 2022 Saudi census, with the aim of providing a more accurate measure of job creation. The report linked the longer-term decline in unemployment among Saudis to localisation policies, labour market initiatives and the Human Capital Development Program. More than 2.5 million Saudis were working in the private sector by the end of 2025.

Female unemployment reached a record low of 10.3%, with the report citing measures related to workplace access, childcare and other employment support. Saudi Vision 2030’s unemployment target of 7% had already been reached by the end of 2024, ahead of the programme’s original deadline.