RIYADH — The number of Saudis working in the private sector posted an increase of 2.9 percent, reaching 1.75 million despite the coronavirus pandemic during the year 2020. A total of around 49,000 jobs have been created for Saudi men and women during the period. Meanwhile, the number of non-Saudi workers recorded a decrease of 2.6 percent during the period, according to the data of the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). The number of Saudis employed in the private sector rose to 1.75 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 1.7 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019. This means adding about 49,000 new jobs for Saudis within a year, despite the outbreak of the pandemic that affected employment around the world, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported quoting the GOSI figures. The increase in jobs among Saudis came mainly as a result of a big rise in the number of Saudi women with 42,400 jobs, making up 7.6 percent of the total, as compared to 6,600 new jobs for Saudi men. On the other hand, the number of non-Saudis in the private sector decreased during the period by 2.6 percent, reaching 6.27 million people at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, as against 6.44 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, a drop of 160,500 jobs. In view of the decline in the number of jobs for non-Saudis at a greater rate than the increase in the number of Saudis, total jobs in the private sector decreased by 1.8 percent, reaching 8.02 million workers by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, as compared to 8.14 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, a decrease of 115,700 jobs. As a result of the increase in the number of Saudi workers compared to the decline of non-Saudi workers, the rate of Saudization in the private sector increased to 21.8 percent by the end of the fourth quarter 2020, compared to 20.9 percent at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019. On an annual basis, the Saudization rate at the end of 2020 is the highest rate ever according to available data since 2015, reaching 17 percent at the end of 2015, 16.5 percent at the end of 2016, 18.4 percent at the end of 2017, 19.8 percent at the end of 2018, and 20.9 percent at the end of 2019. According to the GOSI figures, the number of Saudi men in the private sector increased by 0.6 percent, reaching 1.148 million people at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 1.142 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, bringing their number to 6,500 jobs. The number of Saudi women in the private sector increased 7.6 percent, reaching 601,300 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to about 559,000 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, increasing their number by 42,400 jobs. As for non-Saudis, the percentage of men in the private sector declined by 2.6, reaching 6.05 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 6.21 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, dropping their number to 160,500 jobs. The number of non-Saudi women in the private sector also decreased by 1.8 percent, reaching 222,000 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to about 226,000 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, with a fall of 4,000 jobs, the GOSI data showed.
