The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the "Labor Market Statistics Q1 2021" on Wednesday. According to estimates of the GASTAT based on the Labor Force Survey, the unemployment rate of total working age populations (Saudis and non-Saudis 15 years and above) decreased to 6.5% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 7.4% during the last quarter of 2020. Moreover, the unemployment rate of total Saudis (males and females 15 years and above), decreased to 11.7% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 12.6% during the fourth quarter of 2020. The unemployment rate of total male working age population in Saudi Arabia decreased in the first quarter of 2021 to 3.7% compared to 4.0% in the fourth quarter of 2020. The unemployment rate of total female working age population also decreased from 20.2% in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 16.1% in the first quarter of 2021. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate of Saudi females stood at 21.2% during the first quarter of 2021, compared to 24.4% in the previous quarter, based on the estimates of the Labor Force Survey. The results of the survey also show that the labor force participation rate of the total working age population (Saudis and non-Saudis 15 years and above) increased to 61.1% during the first quarter of 2021 compared to 61.0% in the fourth quarter of the previous year. Furthermore, the results indicated a decrease in the labor force participation rate of the total male working age population in the first quarter of 2021, to reach 79.7%, compared to 80.6% during the previous quarter. The labor force participation rate of the total female working age population increased during the first quarter of 2021 to reach 33.6%, compared to 32.1% in the fourth quarter of 2020. The results also showed a decrease in the labor force participation rate of Saudis (males and females 15 years and above), to reach a level of 49.5% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 51.2 % in the previous quarter. The labor force participation rate of Saudi males decreased by 2.4 pp to 66.2% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 68.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020. The labor force participation rate among Saudi females decreased to 32.3% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 33.2% in the previous quarter of 2020. The GASTAT stated that the Labor market statistics are based on two main sources. The first source is the Labor Force Survey (LFS), a sample household survey that is conducted by GASTAT. Information is collected by calling an updated sample of households over the phone. The survey provides estimates of the population inside and outside the labor force. It also provides the most important indicators of the labor market, such as the unemployment rate and the labor force participation rate. The second source is administrative data from the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development, National Information Center, General Organization for Social Insurance. — SPA
