Home / Comparisons / US vs Saudi Arabia Unemployment
US vs Saudi Arabia Unemployment
United States moved above Saudi Arabia in 1992. In 1991 Saudi Arabia stood at roughly 108% of United States’s Unemployment; today the figure is about 72%, and the pair was closest in 1993 (101%).
| Year | United States | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.8% | 7.32% | 108% |
| 1970 | 6.8% | 7.32% | 108% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | 7.32% | 108% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | 7.32% | 108% |
| 2000 | 3.99% | 4.57% | 114% |
| 2010 | 9.63% | 5.55% | 58% |
| 2020 | 8.06% | 7.66% | 95% |
| 2025 | 4.2% | 3.04% | 72% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States move above Saudi Arabia in Unemployment?
In 1992. United States’s published Unemployment rose above Saudi Arabia’s that year.
How do United States and Saudi Arabia compare today?
United States is ahead: 4.2% against 3.04% — the trailing economy stands at about 72% of the leader.
Are these Unemployment figures nominal or adjusted?
The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, exactly as the World Bank publishes it; movements are percentage points, not percent.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: