Saudi private sector leads surge in female employment, study shows

Saudi private sector leads surge in female employment, study shows

Published 25 Apr,2021 via Arab News - Economy DUBAI - The Saudi private sector is hiring women at twice the rate of the public sector, a new study reveals.

Between the beginning of 2019 and the end of 2020, Saudi women in the labor market grew by 64 percent, as the Kingdom underwent several social reforms, particularly for its female population.

The study, commissioned by US think tank Brookings Institute, showed the surge was “genuine, private-sector-led,” as female employment in these sectors rose by about 10 percent, twice as quickly as in the public sector, where it grew 5 percent.

As of the end of 2020, the labor participation rate of Saudi women stood at 33 percent from just 20 percent in late 2018.

The study also noted a trend in Saudi women joining labor-intensive sectors including construction, manufacturing, and food and accommodation where the rate all grew considerably.

Women of all ages were participating in this increased activity, but the