Saudi unemployment falls in first quarter, but before coronavirus impact

Unemployment among Saudi Arabian citizens in the first quarter fell below 12% for the first time in four years, official figures released on Tuesday showed, but they did not capture the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Unemployment fell to 11.8% from 12% the previous quarter, the General Authority for Statistics said.

“Data in these statistics do not yet reflect the impact of COVID-19 crisis as they were collected early in the first quarter,” it said in a statement.