Saudi Women's Labor Participation Hits 36%

New figures on Saudi Arabia's labor market show a marked rise in women's participation and steady growth in private sector employment,

Female labor force participation has climbed from 17% in 2017 to about 36% in early 2025, surpassing the 30% target set under رؤية السعودية 2030 well ahead of schedule. By the second and third quarters of 2025, the rate stood in the mid-30% range, around 34–35%, with continued year-on-year gains.

Unemployment among Saudi women has fallen to roughly 10–12% by late 2024 and into 2025, a historic low compared with more than 30% in 2016–2017. The number of Saudi women registered with social insurance in the private sector rose from about 652,000 in mid-2020 to more than 1.09 million by mid-2024, a growth of nearly 78%. The Riyadh region alone accounts for nearly half of all registered Saudi working women.

Growth has been broad-based, with sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and accommodation and food services recording more than 10% growth in female employment since 2019. Women's presence in senior and middle management roles has also risen to over 40% of such positions by 2024.

For residents and expats, these trends point to a widening and more diverse workforce across major cities. The Labor Market Bulletin is a publicly available statistical release, updated each quarter, and can be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the relevant official portals — with no fees, subscriptions, or validity periods attached.

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