JEDDAH — The unemployment rate among Saudis dropped to 14.9 percent in the third quarter of the last year from 15.4 percent in the second quarter while it rose compared to 11.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020, the Saudi General Authority for Statistics announced on Friday. The unemployment rate among males and females stood at 7.9 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively in the same period. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among all residents (15 years and above) dropped from 9 percent to 8.5 percent by the end of Q3 2020. The statistics suggest that the Saudi labor market and economy continue to reel from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The total number of employed persons across the Kingdom stood at13.46 million in Q3 2020. Males accounted for 82 percent, or 10.97 million of the total labor force, while females represented 18 percent, or 2.49 million. Meanwhile, employed expatriates accounted for nearly 10.20 million, representing 75.8 percent of the total employees, while nationals accounted for 24.1 percent, or 3.25 million. A total of 8.50 million workers, or 63.2 percent of the total labor force, are subject to the regulations of the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), while 9.4 percent are subject to the rules of the Civil Service. Meanwhile, 27.3 percent of the total labor force represents domestic workers. — SG