RIYADH: The rate of Saudization in the private sector dropped by 17.8 percent in 2009, compared to 2008, official statistics obtained by Okaz/Saudi Gazette has revealed. The statistical report issued by the Ministry of Labor shows 115,000 Saudi workers are no longer working in the private sector. There are now 680,000 Saudis working in the private sector. In contrast the number of non-Saudis working in the private sector increased by 15.2 percent in 2009, to total 6.2 million workers. According to the report, there are 630,000 male Saudis working in the private sector as at the end of 2009, registering a fall of 18.6 percent compared to the previous year. Over the same period, the number of Saudi female workers totaled 50,000, a decline of six percent compared to 2008. The average wages in the private sector fell by 26 percent in 2009, reflecting a drop to less than SR1,000 from SR1,353 in 2008. The report showed that the monthly wages of Saudi men fell below SR1,000 in 2009, representing a fall of 27 percent, while the monthly salary of Saudi women stood at SR1,657, a drop of 11 percent compared to the previous year.
