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Jobless Rate in Saudi Arabia Falls to 3.1% in First Quarter

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Jobless Rate in Saudi Arabia Falls to 3.1% in First Quarter

Saudi Arabia's jobless rate declined in the three months to March 2026, with the overall unemployment rate coming in at 3.1%, down from 3.5% in the prior three-month period.

The overall unemployment rate stood at 2.8% in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from the kingdom's General Authority for Statistics released Tuesday.

"The unemployment rate among Saudis stood at 6.4 percent in Q1 of 2026, decreasing by 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous quarter while increasing by 0.1 percentage point year-on-year compared to Q1 of 2025," the statistics agency said in a statement. The jobless rate came in at 1.5% among non-Saudis in the first quarter, compared with 1.7% in the previous three-month period.

The labor market indicators also showed that the overall labor force participation rate for both Saudi and non-Saudi nationals edged down to 67.2% in the quarter from 67.4% in the prior three-month period.

Meanwhile, foreign direct investment outflows and inflows in Saudi Arabia amounted to 3.5 billion Saudi riyals and 26.6 billion riyals, respectively, in the first quarter, down 31.8% and 49.9% from the prior quarter. This led to a 51.9% flow in net inflows of foreign direct investment over the period to 23.1 billion riyals.

In terms of consumer morale, a "slight trend toward optimism" was observed in the first quarter, with the general consumer confidence index coming in at 116 points in January, 113 points in February, and 114 points in March.

The General Authority for Statistics noted that the general index's values remained above the neutral 100-point mark from January 2023 to March 2026.

For economic conditions, the consumer confidence index stood at 129 points in January, 130 points in February, and 132 points in March, indicating that consumers view the country's economic situation in a positive light.

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