Saudi Graduate Employment Hits Record 44% in 2024

The share of Saudi higher-education graduates entering the labor market within six months of graduation reached 44.43% in 2024, a sharp rise from just 13.3% in 2016, reflecting significant gains in how quickly young Saudis are moving from study to work.

Graduates of technical and vocational education also posted strong results, with an employment rate of 47.81% within six months during 2024. Meanwhile, the youth employment rate for Saudis aged 15 to 24 climbed to 36.2% in 2024, up from 18% in 2020.

Longer-term tracking shows that by the end of 2022, 41% of Saudi graduates were employed within one year of finishing their studies, with 10% already working before graduation and continuing afterward. Among bachelor’s degree holders from the Class of 2022, 31% found jobs within a year, while doctorate holders reached a total employment rate of 90%.

The 2022 cohort included around 207,900 graduates from 51 Saudi universities, of whom about 203,600 were Saudis (98%). Women made up 61% of graduates and men 39%, with roughly 84% earning a bachelor’s degree.

Why it matters

Structural reforms in the labor market and education under national capability development programs are seen as the main drivers behind the jump in graduate employment between 2016 and 2024. On-the-job training is offered through the Tamheer program, run with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, which prepares graduates for the workforce via online registration through official government e-services.

Challenges remain. Recent analysis estimates that Saudi high-school and university graduates take an average of about 40 weeks — roughly nine months — to secure a job, pointing to a lingering skills gap. Overall, Saudi Arabia’s employment rate stood at about 65.1% in early 2026, with 19.39 million people employed and unemployment at around 3.04% in 2025.

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