50,000 Without Jobs in Riyadh

RIYADH, 11 November 2005 — The High Commission for the Development of Riyadh has put the number of unemployed persons at 50,000 in Riyadh, Al-Watan newspaper reported. The commission, according to a study conducted in 1996, had estimated the number of unemployed persons at 24,000. But, according to the new study, 68 percent of jobs were provided by the private sector and 32 percent people got employment in the government sector. The total strength of workforce is 1.42 million, which is an increase of 390,000 since 1996.