A new report by Saudi HR-tech platform Jisr reveals a significant acceleration in Saudi Arabia’s hiring market, highlighting the Kingdom’s rapid economic transformation. The ‘State of Hiring in Saudi Arabia’ report, which analyzes data from over 4,700 companies between January 2024 and July 2025, found that the average number of new hires per month surged by 51.5% in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year.
Unprecedented Growth And Seasonal Trends
The data points to a dramatic year-over-year increase, with January 2025 witnessing a 154.5% surge in new hires compared to January 2024. The average monthly hiring volume climbed from 15,942 in 2024 to 24,155 in the first seven months of 2025.
The report also identified clear seasonal patterns, with hiring activity peaking towards the end of the calendar year and in January. Conversely, a noticeable decline was observed in April of both years, coinciding with Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holidays, indicating the influence of national and religious occasions on recruitment cycles.
Riyadh Leads Regional Hiring While Eastern Province Shows Fastest Growth
Geographically, Riyadh continues to be the epicenter of hiring activity, accounting for more than half of all new hires in the Kingdom and demonstrating a steady 75% growth in its recruitment numbers.
However, the report highlights the Eastern Province as the region with the highest relative growth, achieving an impressive 156% increase in new hires during the study period. Mecca also showed strong momentum with 118% growth, establishing itself as the second-largest hiring region after the capital.
SMBs Dominate Volume As Large Enterprises Drive Growth Rate
The analysis across company sizes reveals that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the primary engine of job creation, contributing the largest volume of new hires.
Large enterprises with over 500 employees, however, are expanding their workforce at the fastest rate. These large firms saw a remarkable 169% increase in their total number of employees from January 2024 to July 2025, signaling aggressive expansion and scaling efforts.
Saudization Gathers Momentum Amidst A Stable Workforce
Despite the dynamic hiring landscape, the Saudi labor market shows strong stability, with an average of 91.37% of employees remaining in their jobs each month.
A key driver of the market’s transformation is the nationalization policy. Saudi nationals accounted for 31% of all new hires, topping the list of recruited nationalities. Survey data within the report supports this trend, with 51% of companies stating they now rely more on national talent and 60% of HR professionals expecting the expatriate workforce to shrink in the coming years, focusing primarily on highly specialized roles.
Top Sectors Driving The Hiring Boom
The recruitment surge is being led by several key sectors. Food & Beverage ranked first, followed by Retail, Wholesale & Distribution, which collectively accounted for 32% of all new hires. Other high-activity sectors include General Services, Construction & Building, and Healthcare & Medical Services, reflecting broad-based growth across the Kingdom’s economy.
About Jisr
Jisr is a Human Resources technology company based in Saudi Arabia, providing a comprehensive HR and payroll management system. The platform aims to digitize and automate HR operations for businesses of all sizes, supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation goals.
