12.2% the unemployment rate during  the forth quarter of 2009

             The Department of Statistics issued the Unemployment Rate report during the fourth quarter of 2009. The following are the main results of this survey.

                    Unemployment:

·           The results show that the unemployment rate has reached 12.2% during the fourth quarter of 2009 (10.5% for males compared with 20.3% for females).

·          The results also show a decrease of about two percentage points in the fourth quarter compared with the third quarter of 2009, where the rate was then 14%.

·         The Unemployment Rate for the fourth quarter of 2008 was approximately the same of the forth quarter of 2009, where the rate was then 12%.

The Quarterly & Yearly Unemployment Rates for 2006-2009

Unemployed:

·          The Survey results show a rise of unemployment rate between the university degree holders (Bachelor degree and higher) by 15.7% compared with the other educational levels ( up by 5.4% compared to same quarter of 2008).

·         The results also show that 1% of the unemployed are illiterate, and 47 % have less than secondary school qualifications, while the rest constituting about 52% of unemployed were higher secondary certificate holders and higher.

·          Male unemployed percentage of bachelor holders and higher was (21%) and (60%) for females which is varied according to educational level and sex.

·         The highest rate of unemployment recorded is in the age group 15-19 and 20-24 years at 32.3% and 25.5% consequently.

Employed:

·         The results show that about 62% and 75% of employed males and females concentrated in the age group 20-39 years.

·         About half of the employed have less than secondary qualifications, 13.4% with secondary and 35% are higher than secondary level.

·         18% of the employed males are engaged in elementary occupations, while the percentage of workers in crafts and related trades and the professions constitute about 17% for each.

·         among the employed females, 49% were professionals and 21% were technicians and associate professionals.  

·         As for the distribution of the total employed, the results show that 19% of the total employed work in the sector of public administration, defense and social security, followed by workers in the wholesale and retail trade sector at about 17%.

·         The results show that 21% of employed males were employed in the sector of public administration and defense, and 19% in the trade sector. It was noticed that 39% of female workers were in the education sector and 13% in the health sector and social work.

·          The results also show that about 83% of the employed were paid employees (81%, for males compared with 95% for females).

Labor Force: (Employed & Unemployed)

·        The results show a clear variation between males and females with regard to educational level. It was found that about 56.8% of the total male labor force has less than secondary educational qualifications compared to 15.4% for females. The results indicate also that 51.6% of the total labor force among females is of bachelor level or higher, compared with 19% for males.

·        The results show that the Crude Economic Activity Rate (i.e. labor force attributed to the total population) reached 25%.

·      The Refined Economic Participation Rate (the labor force attributed to the population 15 years and over) was about 64.9% for males against 14% for females compared with 64% for males and 14% for females in the fourth quarter 2008.

 It should be noted that the Survey included a total sample size of about 13 thousand households distributed all over the  governorates of the Kingdom, and is representative of the urban, rural, and regions. It is worthy to mention here that the Employment and Unemployment surveys are carried out every quarter and provide data reflecting the situation of the complete quarter (October, November and December).