Al-Madina Newspaper

A recent General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) report has claimed that some citizens have been unemployed for 15 years or more during the second quarter of 2017. It said the number of the jobless Saudi men and women reached about 803,000 with an increase of 25 percent over their number during the same period last year.

The report said the number of the jobless women reached 423,000 with an increase of 7,000 over their number during the same period in 2016.

The concerned authorities must move fast to reduce these rates and to see that the number of the unemployed Saudis never goes up again so as to protect the security and stability of the society.

An increase in the number of employed citizens should not be done by forcing the private sector to secure jobs for them without proper training especially in the sectors of contracting and retail business.

The slackness in resolving the problem of unemployment will result in a number of economic and social issues. It is the most serious issue which threatens the security and stability of a society.

May be the problem of unemployment was further aggravated by the steady growth of population and the continued urban migration.

The number of the young Saudi men and women looking for jobs is steadily increasing. Many of these young citizens lack experience, proper skills and rehabilitation and training.

They are also looking for employment at a time which is witnessing a serious scarcity in job openings, the fall in oil prices, the non-exploitation of energy resources, the lack of foreign investments and the inability to exploit human resources in business.

The level of education and training are two vital factors in the labor market. Citizens have to be well equipped by education and good training in order to get jobs in the labor markets.

Presently, the labor market requires a certain level of education, training and rehabilitation that will meet its requirements.

The solution of the problem of unemployment also requires the support of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the boosting of foreign and local investments which usually yield results after several years.

The rate of unemployment is on the rise. The value added tax (VAT) is coming. The rise of fees and other charges is imminent. This will have an adverse effect on the income of the Saudi families and may further deepen the issue of joblessness.

We have a large number of young Saudi men and women holding high degrees from renowned international universities who are looking for jobs. There are less qualified expatriates holding high jobs in private establishments, companies and factories.

Some of our highly qualified young men and women are looking even for simple jobs like clerks but are unable to find them because they are already occupied by expatriates.

Who is responsible for what is happening to our youth?

According to the latest statistics, the working Saudis are 3.6 million against 10.88 expatriates.