Muscat – The total number of Omani workers increased 4.2% year-on-year to 893,164 as of March 2026, reflecting steady growth across most sectors and governorates, according to the latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Growth was driven largely by the private sector, where employment of Omani nationals jumped 8.8% to 436,098 by the end of March 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier. The private sector now accounts for around 48.8% of total Omani employment, underlining its increasingly important role in absorbing the local workforce.

Government sector employment also recorded a modest year-on-year increase of 1.4%, reaching 393,576 workers by the end of March. In contrast, employment in family-based activities decreased 7.1% to 61,683, while communal employment fell 6.9% to 1,802.

The NCSI data points to continued expansion in Omani employment, supported by private sector growth and broad-based gains across most governorates, reinforcing ongoing national efforts to strengthen labour market participation among citizens.

At the governorate level, all regions reported year-on-year growth in Omani employment. Muscat continued to account for the largest share, with the number of Omani workers rising 6.1% to 203,508. North Batinah followed with 169,415 workers, up 4.4%, while Dhofar recorded a 2.3% increase to 78,380 Omani workers.

Strong growth was also observed in South Batinah, where Omani employment expanded 4.8% to 110,318, and Dakhliyah, which saw a 3.7% increase to 111,895.

By occupation, the largest increase was seen in sales jobs, which rose 25.8% year-on-year to 20,734, while the number of administrators, directors and managers increased 1% to 136,414.

Clerical positions for Omanis expanded 4.8% to 215,034, while service jobs increased 5.4% to 90,088. Scientific and technical roles recorded a 5.6% rise to 94,103 Omani workers.

However, some categories registered declines. Employment in agriculture, livestock breeding and hunting fell 3.4% to 52,507, while jobs in industrial, chemical and food industries decreased 4.1% to 29,886.