RIYADH: The number of unemployed Saudi nationals reached 647,000 by the end of last year, of whom 56 percent, or 363,800, hold bachelor’s degrees or licenses.

Female bachelor’s degree and license holders accounted for three-fourths of unemployed Saudi females as of the end of last year, while 110,900 unemployed males with high school degrees accounted for about half of all unemployed Saudi males.

According to Al-Eqtisadiah, women made up the majority of the unemployed at around 64 percent. Unemployed women holding bachelor’s degrees or licenses amounted to 303,000; 68,900 unemployed women have high-school degrees; 22.700 have diplomas with no university degree; 11,400 women completed only middle school; and 4,800 have master’s or graduate degrees.

About 28 percent of the total, or 179,900 unemployed people, have high school degrees, while 49,000 people, or 8 percent of the total unemployed Saudis, hold diplomas but no college degrees.