Indicators · Labour market pulse · latest data Q1 2026 (Rajab – Shawwal 1447 AH) · retrieved from GASTAT’s database 30 September 2026 (19 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH)
Labour market pulse in your region: unemployment now and a year ago
The unemployment rate in each of the thirteen regions, for Saudis and non-Saudis, and how much it changed from the same quarter of the previous year.
In Saudi Arabia: unemployment is 3.1% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+0.3 points). Among Saudis: 6.4%.
In Riyadh: unemployment is 2.0% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+0.6 points). Among Saudis: 3.9%.
In Makkah: unemployment is 4.6% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+1.1 points). Among Saudis: 8.7%.
In Eastern Province: unemployment is 2.1% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+0.2 points). Among Saudis: 5.0%.
In Madinah: unemployment is 3.5% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−1.0 points). Among Saudis: 7.9%.
In Qassim: unemployment is 2.8% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−0.6 points). Among Saudis: 5.9%.
In Asir: unemployment is 3.5% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−0.9 points). Among Saudis: 8.9%.
In Tabuk: unemployment is 3.3% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−1.1 points). Among Saudis: 8.2%.
In Hail: unemployment is 2.9% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−0.6 points). Among Saudis: 7.6%.
In Jazan: unemployment is 4.1% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+0.4 points). Among Saudis: 8.4%.
In Najran: unemployment is 4.0% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+1.1 points). Among Saudis: 6.1%.
In Al-Baha: unemployment is 2.8% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−1.8 points). Among Saudis: 6.5%.
In Al-Jouf: unemployment is 2.8% of the labour force, and fell from a year earlier (−0.6 points). Among Saudis: 5.9%.
In Northern Borders: unemployment is 5.4% of the labour force, and rose from a year earlier (+0.3 points). Among Saudis: 9.9%.
What this means for your decision: rising unemployment in a region means more job seekers there, and may mean weaker demand in its shops. Falling unemployment means a tighter hiring market. The figure is for the whole region, not for an activity or a city.
Regions: unemployment now and the change over a year
Q1 2026 (Rajab – Shawwal 1447 AH) against Q1 2025 (Rajab – Shawwal 1446 AH). Ranked from the highest unemployment. “Point” = percentage point: 5.0% minus 4.0% = 1.0 point.
| Region | All now | Change (pt) | Saudis now | Change (pt) | Non-Saudis now | Change (pt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 3.1% | +0.3 | 6.4% | +0.1 | 1.5% | +0.7 |
| Northern Borders | 5.4% | +0.3 | 9.9% | −0.4 | 2.1% | +1.0 |
| Makkah | 4.6% | +1.1 | 8.7% | +0.8 | 2.8% | +1.4 |
| Jazan | 4.1% | +0.4 | 8.4% | +0.8 | 0.7% | +0.6 |
| Najran | 4.0% | +1.1 | 6.1% | +1.9 | 2.6% | +0.8 |
| Asir | 3.5% | −0.9 | 8.9% | −1.8 | 0.4% | +0.2 |
| Madinah | 3.5% | −1.0 | 7.9% | −0.4 | 1.4% | −1.0 |
| Tabuk | 3.3% | −1.1 | 8.2% | −1.6 | 0.2% | −0.2 |
| Hail | 2.9% | −0.6 | 7.6% | −0.3 | 0.0% | −0.5 |
| Al-Baha | 2.8% | −1.8 | 6.5% | −3.0 | 0.0% | −0.5 |
| Al-Jouf | 2.8% | −0.6 | 5.9% | −0.5 | 0.6% | −0.4 |
| Qassim | 2.8% | −0.6 | 5.9% | −0.6 | 0.5% | −0.4 |
| Eastern Province | 2.1% | +0.2 | 5.0% | about zero | 0.9% | +0.4 |
| Riyadh | 2.0% | +0.6 | 3.9% | +0.5 | 1.2% | +0.7 |
Source: GASTAT — unemployment rate by region and nationality from the Labour Force Survey (database, dataflow DSD_LFS_ODIN_ADMIN_ICEBERG), retrieved 30 September 2026 (19 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH). Highest region now: Northern Borders; lowest: Riyadh.
Unemployment quarter by quarter since 2021
Source: GASTAT, Labour Force Survey (2025 methodology), from Q1 2021 (Jumada al-Ula – Sha'ban 1442 AH) to Q1 2026 (Rajab – Shawwal 1447 AH); DataPulse calculations. Axis: the Gregorian year, with the Hijri year on 1 January below it.
What this means for your decision: watch your region’s trend over several quarters, not a single one; the quarterly figure moves with the seasons and with the sample size in small regions.
Employment and wages in your region: the latest GASTAT release
The employment rate (people in work among the population aged 15 and over), the labour force participation rate, and the average monthly wage of paid employees, in Q4 2024 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Jumada al-Akhirah 1446 AH), and the change in wages from Q4 2023 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Jumada al-Akhirah 1445 AH). These figures stop at the source in Q4 2024 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Jumada al-Akhirah 1446 AH); GASTAT has not yet published them by region under the 2025 methodology, so they are older than the unemployment figures above, and we do not estimate what came after.
| Region | Employment rate (all) | Participation (all) | Participation (Saudi women) | Saudi wage (SAR/month) | Change over a year | Non-Saudi wage (SAR/month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 64.0% | 66.4% | 36.0% | 10,088 | +0.9% | 4,434 |
| Northern Borders | 56.8% | 61.4% | 35.2% | 9,735 | −3.5% | 3,388 |
| Makkah | 61.2% | 63.8% | 34.9% | 9,646 | −0.4% | 4,468 |
| Jazan | 53.4% | 56.4% | 29.7% | 9,731 | −0.9% | 2,859 |
| Najran | 60.8% | 63.6% | 36.0% | 8,129 | −0.5% | 2,406 |
| Asir | 60.3% | 63.7% | 31.8% | 9,793 | +2.1% | 2,768 |
| Madinah | 56.6% | 59.4% | 29.0% | 9,340 | +1.5% | 3,376 |
| Tabuk | 62.0% | 65.2% | 32.2% | 9,638 | +0.4% | 3,189 |
| Hail | 62.6% | 65.0% | 33.4% | 9,302 | −0.6% | 2,780 |
| Al-Baha | 56.6% | 59.3% | 31.0% | 9,263 | −0.3% | 2,281 |
| Al-Jouf | 64.1% | 66.7% | 44.4% | 9,480 | +2.2% | 2,822 |
| Qassim | 60.1% | 62.7% | 33.5% | 8,728 | −2.8% | 2,620 |
| Eastern Province | 69.8% | 71.3% | 36.2% | 9,839 | −0.5% | 4,461 |
| Riyadh | 68.8% | 70.6% | 42.9% | 11,345 | +3.1% | 5,620 |
Source: GASTAT — Labour Force Survey, dataflows DPV_LFS_PLMLF010203, 010301 and 010204 (database), retrieved 30 September 2026 (19 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH); the rates and average wages are our calculation from the survey estimates (employed ÷ population 15+, labour force ÷ population 15+, total wages ÷ paid employees). Ordered as the unemployment table.
The average wage in a small region is an estimate from a small sample, and it may move by hundreds of riyals between quarters with no real change; it does not mean the wage of any particular job. The indicator covers unemployment, employment and wages; unemployment up to Q1 2026 (Rajab – Shawwal 1447 AH), employment and wages up to Q4 2024 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Jumada al-Akhirah 1446 AH).
How we calculate
- Unemployment rate: unemployed people seeking work ÷ the labour force in the region, as published by GASTAT, for both sexes together.
- Change over a year: the latest quarter minus the same quarter of the previous year, in percentage points; comparing the same quarter removes the effect of the seasons.
- The national figure as published by GASTAT (to one decimal place), and the regional figures at their published precision, so we show them all to one decimal place.
What the indicator does not measure
- It does not measure the number of vacancies: unemployment is a share of the labour force; it may fall because job seekers left the labour market, not because jobs increased, so read it with the participation and employment rates in the table above.
- The wage is a mean, not a median, and for paid employees only: it excludes employers and the self-employed, and does not say what most people earn; the regional wage stops at the source in Q4 2024.
- Administrative region, not city or activity.
- Small regions are more volatile: the figure comes from a sample survey; a change of half a point in a small region may be sampling noise.
- Not linked to before 2021: GASTAT changed the Labour Force Survey methodology in 2025 and recalculated it from 2021; the older series under the previous methodology does not connect to this one.
Source and download
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia — Labour Force Survey: unemployment rate, employment rate, labour force participation and average monthly wage by region and nationality, the official source of the original data. DataPulse organised the data and made calculations on it (such as percentage changes and regrouping). This processing and its results are ours; they are not an official statistic issued by GASTAT and do not imply its endorsement.
Reuse terms: GASTAT data use policy. We do not use GASTAT’s logo or marks.
The attribution statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs; the English above is a summary)
المصدر: الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المملكة العربية السعودية) — مسح القوى العاملة: معدل البطالة، ومعدل التشغيل، والمشاركة في القوى العاملة، ومتوسط الأجر الشهري بالمنطقة والجنسية، وهي المصدر الرسمي للبيانات الأصلية. أجرت «نبض البيانات» على البيانات تنظيمًا وحسابًا (مثل: حساب نسب التغيّر وإعادة التجميع). هذه المعالجة والنتائج من إعدادنا وليست إحصاءً رسميًا صادرًا عن الهيئة، ولا تعني تزكية منها.
شروط إعادة الاستخدام: سياسة استخدام بيانات الهيئة. لا نستخدم شعار الهيئة ولا علاماتها.
Quarterly indicator file since 2021: indicator_labor_pulse.csv · employment, participation and wages by region since 2016: gastat-labor-region-quarterly.csv · Labour market data