Muscat – The rate of jobseekers in the sultanate  decreased to 2.6% this year at the end of April compared to 2.8% in March, according to data released by National Centre for Statistics and Information.

Breaking down the figures, the rate of male jobseekers decreased to 1.1% in April from 1.2% in March, while the rate of female jobseekers dropped to 8.3% from 9.2% in the same period.

Breaking down the figures based on educational background, those holding a higher education diploma decreased to 8.5% in April compared to 9.2% in March. Similarly, the rate for Bachelor’s degree holders dropped to 7.3% from 8%.

For jobseekers with general education diplomas, the rate decreased to 3.6% from 3.8% in March. Master’s and doctorate degree holders also saw a marginal decrease to 0.6% in April from 0.7% in March.

Analysis based on age group revealed the highest percentage of jobseekers was in the 15 to 24 years category – 8.6% – followed by 25 to 29-year-olds at 5.3%. The rate decreased with age; the rate of jobseekers among 30 to 34-year-olds was 2.7%, 1.4% among 35 to 39-year-olds, and 0.6% among those aged 40 and older.

Geographically, Musandam and Dhahirah had the highest concentration of jobseekers at 4.9%, followed by North Batinah and South Batinah (3.5%), Buraimi (3.4%), Dakhliyah (3.3%), South Sharqiyah (3%), North Sharqiyah (2.8%), Dhofar (2.3%), Muscat (1.2%) and Al Wusta (1.1%) at the end of April 2024.