Employment
Interactive insights into Oman’s employment and labor market statistics.
Total Number of Workers in the Sultanate of Oman
"Evolution of total Workers by year."
Across all sectors, people were recorded in , from . Omani employment reached ( ) and expatriate employment ( ). Male employment was and female employment .
Employment is distributed across three principal sectors. The government sector accounts for of total employment, with persons in (up from in , a change). The private sector is the largest, representing of employment with persons, a year-on-year change. The family sector represents with persons, a change.
Composition by nationality and sex differs sharply between sectors. Government employment is predominantly Omani, with Omani males and Omani females in . In the private sector, expatriate males () are the largest single group, alongside Omani males and Omani females. In the family sector, there are expatriate males and expatriate females.
Employment is concentrated among workers in their twenties and thirties: the 25–29 group accounted for — employed persons in — (— —), and the 30–34 group recorded — (— —). At the upper end, the 65 and above group recorded — (— —).
By wage, the largest group is OMR 1,000 to less than OMR 2,000, with workers, compared with in the previous year (a change). Government employment stood at ( of the dataset) against in the private sector ().
By skill level, Limited Skill Labourers are the largest group, with workers ( of the workforce), followed by Occupational Labour (), Skilled Labourers (), Specialists () and Technical workers ().
In terms of education, workers with a Bachelor's or equivalent level numbered in , compared with in : a of , representing of employment across educational levels.
In the disability statistics for , total employment reached persons, which by from in (males: ; females: ).
In , Oman recorded employees associated with retirement or service-ending reasons, compared with in : a .
In N/A, the unemployment rate was N/A%, compared with N/A% in N/A, a N/A percentage-point change year over year. The male unemployment rate was N/A% in N/A, compared with N/A% in N/A ( N/A percentage-point change ).
- Employment: Employment refers to persons who perform work for pay or profit, including paid employment and self-employment.
- Employment Workers: Persons engaged in employment and represented in the employment statistics. Workers may be classified by nationality, sex, sector, occupation, and other characteristics.
- Labour Force: The labour force consists of persons who are either employed or unemployed and therefore contribute to, or are available to supply, labour for economic activity.
- Unemployment: Unemployment refers to persons who are without employment, are available for work, and are seeking employment according to the applicable statistical definition.
- Job Seekers: Job seekers are persons registered or identified as seeking employment in the relevant statistical data.
- Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed persons within the labour force. It is an indicator of the proportion of the labour force that is without employment but seeking and available for work.
- Omani Workers : Workers who are Omani nationals. In employment datasets, Omani workers are identified separately from expatriate workers.
- Expatriate Workers: Workers who are non-Omani nationals and are included in the employment statistics as expatriate workers.
- Government Sector: Employment associated with government institutions and entities included within the relevant government-sector statistics.
- Private and Family Sectors: Refers to persons working in establishments and institutions belonging to the private sector, as well as persons working for or within households or family-based activities. It includes paid employees and self-employed persons according to the classification used in labour statistics.
Reference: International Labour Organization (ILO), ILOSTAT concepts and definitions for labour statistics.
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Unemployment Rate (%):
\[ = \frac{\text{Number of Unemployed Persons}} {\text{Labour Force}} \times 100 \]
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Labour Force:
\[ = \text{Employed Persons} + \text{Unemployed Persons} \]
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Unemployment Rate for Omanis (%):
\[ = \frac{\text{Omani Unemployed Persons}} {\text{Omani Labour Force}} \times 100 \]
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Labour Force:
\[ = \text{Omani Labour Force} + \text{Expatriate Labour Force} \]
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Omani Labour Force:
\[ \begin{aligned} &= \text{Omani Employed Persons} \\ &\quad + \text{Omani Unemployed Persons} \end{aligned} \]
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Employment Growth Rate (%):
\[ = \frac{\text{Current Employment} - \text{Previous Employment}} {\text{Previous Employment}} \times 100 \]
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Percentage Change (%):
\[ = \frac{\text{Current Value} - \text{Previous Value}} {\text{Previous Value}} \times 100 \]
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Share of Total Employment (%):
\[ = \frac{\text{Category Value}} {\text{Total Value}} \times 100 \]
Oman Analyzer processes and visualizes the published data to make statistical information easier to explore and understand.
Oman Analyzer does not create the underlying statistics; it processes, organizes, and visualizes officially published data.
Original source:
Official Statistical Yearbooks published by the National
Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Original source:
National Centre for Statistics and Information (E-census
portal)
Employment by Gender and Nationality
Distribution of Employment by Sectors in Oman
"Government Sector, Private Sector and Family Sector."
Employment in Oman is distributed across three principal sectors: government, private, and family employment. The latest available figures show how each sector contributes to the overall employment landscape and how its position has changed compared with the previous year.
The government sector accounts for of total employment, with employed persons recorded in .
This compares with persons in , representing a change in employment.
The sector's share of total employment was in the previous year and is now .
The private sector is the largest source of employment in Oman, representing of total employment in . It employed persons during the year.
In comparison, employment stood at in , with the latest figure showing a year-on-year change.
The sector therefore continues to represent the dominant component of employment, accounting for more than half of all employed persons.
The family sector represents of total employment, with employed persons recorded in .
The corresponding figure in was . This represents a change over the previous year.
Although smaller than the private and government sectors, family-sector employment remains a significant component of Oman's overall employment structure.
Employment Distribution by Sectors
The age structure of employment provides an important perspective on the composition of Oman's workforce. The latest statistics show that employment is distributed across a broad range of working-age groups, from younger entrants to older workers aged 65 years and above. Examining these groups together helps illustrate how participation changes across different stages of working life.
Among younger workers, the 15–19 age group recorded — employed persons in —, compared with — in —. Employment in this group changed by — —. The 20–24 age group recorded — employed persons in the latest year, compared with — in the previous year.
Employment becomes substantially larger among workers in their twenties and thirties. The 25–29 age group accounted for — employed persons in —, while the 30–34 group recorded — . Compared with the previous year, employment in these two age groups changed by — — and — —, respectively.
The central working-age groups remain an important part of the employment structure. In the latest reporting year, employment among people aged 35–39 stood at — , while the 40–44 group recorded — . The year-on-year changes were — — for ages 35–39 and — — for ages 40–44.
Older working-age groups also form a significant component of the employment population. The 45–49 age group recorded — employed persons, while employment among those aged 50–54 reached — in —. Their respective annual changes were — — and — —.
Employment among workers aged 55–59 stood at — persons, compared with — in the previous year. For those aged 60–64, employment reached — persons. These figures provide an indication of continued participation in employment among workers approaching and moving beyond traditional retirement-age thresholds.
At the upper end of the age distribution, the 65 years and above group recorded — employed persons in —, compared with — in —. Employment in this group changed by — —.
Overall, the age-group distribution demonstrates that employment in Oman extends across multiple stages of the working life cycle. Differences between younger, prime working-age, and older groups provide useful context for understanding workforce participation, labour-market transitions, and changes in the structure of employment over time. The accompanying charts allow these patterns to be examined in greater detail by age group, sex, and nationality.
Employment Distribution by Sectors
The composition of employment varies considerably across sectors. Examining nationality and sex together provides a clearer picture of the workforce structure and highlights differences between Omani and expatriate employment as well as between males and females.
Government employment is predominantly composed of Omani workers. In , the sector recorded Omani males and Omani females.
Among expatriate workers, there were males and females. This illustrates the relatively larger contribution of Omani workers to government-sector employment.
Omani male employment by , while Omani female employment by compared with the previous year.
The private sector has a markedly different employment composition. In , expatriate males accounted for workers, making them the largest single nationality-and-sex group within the sector.
Omani employment consisted of males and females, while expatriate employment included males and females.
The latest figures therefore demonstrate the substantial contribution of expatriate workers to private-sector employment, particularly among males.
Family-sector employment shows a different balance between nationality and sex. In , expatriate males numbered , while expatriate females numbered .
Among Omani workers, the sector recorded males and females.
Compared with the previous year, Omani male employment by , while Omani female employment by .
Omani Workers in Oman reached in , compared with in . This represents a year-on-year change in the number of workers covered by this dataset. The overall employment figure provides a broad view of the labour market and serves as a basis for comparing employment across sectors, gender groups, and wage categories.
The employment distribution by sex shows that males accounted for workers in , compared with in the previous year, representing a change. Female employment reached , compared with previously, recording a change. These figures provide an overview of how employment is distributed between male and female workers within the dataset.
Employment in the government sector stood at in , compared with in . The sector recorded a year-on-year change and represented of employment in the dataset. Within the government sector, male employment reached , while female employment reached .
Employment in the private sector reached in , up from in . This represents a year-on-year change, with the private sector accounting for of employment in the dataset. Male employment in the private sector stood at , while female employment reached .
The distribution of employment between the government and private sectors provides an important view of the structure of the labour market. In , government-sector employment stood at , while private-sector employment reached . The government sector represented of the total, compared with for the private sector. Compared with the previous year, government employment changed by , while private-sector employment changed by .
The distribution of workers across basic wage groups provides insight into the structure of employment by salary level. In , the largest wage group in the dataset was OMR 1,000 to less than OMR 2,000, with workers, compared with in the previous year. This wage group recorded a change, making it an important component of the overall wage distribution.
The OMR 325 to less than OMR 400 wage group included workers in , compared with in . The group recorded a year-on-year change. Male workers accounted for , while female workers accounted for .
The OMR 400 to less than OMR 500 wage group comprised workers in , compared with in the previous year. Employment in this wage category changed by . Male workers numbered , while female workers numbered .
The OMR 500 to less than OMR 600 wage group recorded workers in , compared with in the previous year. The category changed by . Male employment stood at , while female employment stood at .
The OMR 600 to less than OMR 700 wage group included workers in , compared with in . The group recorded a change. Male workers accounted for , while female workers accounted for .
The OMR 700 to less than OMR 800 wage group contained workers in , compared with in the previous year. Employment in this category changed by . The number of male workers was , while female workers numbered .
The OMR 800 to less than OMR 1,000 wage group recorded workers in , compared with in the previous year. The category recorded a change. Male workers numbered , while female workers numbered .
The OMR 1,000 to less than OMR 2,000 wage group recorded workers in , compared with in the previous year. The category experienced a change. Male employment reached , while female employment reached .
The OMR 2,000 to less than OMR 2,500 wage group comprised workers in , compared with in the previous year. Employment in this category changed by . Male workers numbered , while female workers numbered .
The OMR 2,500 and above wage group included workers in , compared with in the previous year. The group recorded a change. Male workers accounted for , while female workers accounted for .
Employment statistics provide an important view of Oman’s labour market, showing how workers are distributed across sectors, gender groups, and basic wage categories. Oman Analyzer organizes and visualizes these indicators to make year-on-year changes easier to explore and compare. The current dataset presents employment figures for and the preceding year, allowing users to examine changes in overall employment, government and private-sector employment, gender distribution, and wage groups. The wage statistics provide an additional perspective by showing the number of workers within different basic wage ranges, from OMR 325 to less than OMR 400 through OMR 2,500 and above. These figures can be further examined by sex to highlight differences in the distribution of male and female workers across wage categories.
Employment Distribution by Nationality
Employment in Oman is distributed across three main analytical categories: the Government Sector, the Private and Family Sectors, and All Sectors combined. The distribution provides an overview of the size and relative importance of each sector in the national employment structure.
In , people were recorded across all sectors, compared with in . This represents compared with the previous year.
The Government Sector accounted for employed persons in , representing of total employment. Compared with in the previous year, employment in this sector by .
The Private and Family Sectors represented employed persons in . The sector's share of total employment was . Compared with the previous year, employment by .
Employment patterns can also be examined by nationality and sex. The data distinguishes between Omani and expatriate workers and further identifies male and female employment. This provides a clearer picture of how employment is distributed within each economic sector.
Across all sectors, Omani employment reached in , compared with in . Omani employment by .
Expatriate employment across all sectors stood at in the latest year. Compared with in the previous year, expatriate employment by .
Male employment across all sectors reached in the latest year, while female employment reached . The comparison highlights the gender composition of employment across the Omani labour market.
Among Omani workers, male employment stood at , while female employment stood at . Male Omani employment by , while female Omani employment by .
Among expatriate workers, male employment reached , compared with female workers. Male expatriate employment by , while female expatriate employment by .
Top 5 Employment Nationalities by Sector in
All Sectors
Government Sector
Private and Family Sectors
Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors Workers by Occupational, Nationality & Sex
In , the total number of workers across Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors reached , compared with in . This represents a in the number of workers, with these workers representing of the total recorded workforce.
By sex, males accounted for workers in , compared with in . This represents a . Males accounted for of all workers, compared with in the previous year.
Females accounted for workers in , increasing from in . The number of female workers by , while their share of the total workforce reached , compared with previously.
By nationality, Omani workers numbered in , compared with in . This represents a .
Expatriate workers accounted for workers in , compared with in . Their number by compared with the previous year.
Workers by Occupational Category
Principal & Auxiliary Engineering Occupations represented the largest occupational category, with workers in . The category accounted for of all workers, compared with in the previous year. Employment in this occupational group by .
Service Occupation was another major occupational group, employing workers in . It represented of the total workforce and by compared with the previous year.
The Administration, Director, Managers & Active Investors category recorded workers in , accounting for of the total. The number of workers in this category by from the previous year.
Sales Occupations employed workers in , representing of all workers. Employment in this category by compared with .
Agriculture, Stock Breeding, Agriculture & Hunting occupations accounted for workers in , representing of the workforce. The category by .
Industrial, Chemical & Food Industries Occupations recorded workers in . This category represented of total workers and by .
Scientific, Technical & Human Matters Specialists numbered workers in , representing of the total workforce. The category by .
Clerical Occupations recorded workers in , representing of the total. Employment in clerical occupations by .
Scientific, Technical & Human Subjects Technicians accounted for workers in . The category represented of the total workforce and by .
Nationality and Sex within Occupational Categories
The workforce also shows differences in occupational participation by nationality and sex. Among Omani workers, males accounted for workers in , while females accounted for . Compared with the previous year, the number of Omani male workers by , while Omani female employment by .
Among expatriate workers, males numbered in , while females numbered . Expatriate male employment by , while expatriate female employment by compared with the previous year.
The occupational distribution highlights substantial differences between male and female participation across occupational groups. For example, Principal & Auxiliary Engineering Occupations recorded male workers and female workers in . Males represented of workers within this occupational category, while females represented .
In Clerical Occupations, female workers numbered compared with male workers in . Female workers represented of workers in this category, while males represented .
In Service Occupation, female workers accounted for workers, while male workers accounted for in . Females represented of workers in this category, compared with for males.
Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors Workers by Skill Level, Nationality & Sex
In , the total number of workers in the Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors reached , compared with in . The workforce therefore by compared with the previous year.
By sex, male workers numbered in , compared with in . This represents a . Males accounted for of workers, compared with in the previous year.
Female workers reached in , compared with in . Female employment by , while females represented of the total workforce.
Workers by Nationality
The workforce consisted of both Omani and expatriate workers. In , the number of Omani workers reached , compared with in . Omani employment by .
Expatriate workers numbered in , compared with in . The number of expatriate workers by compared with the previous year.
Workers by Skill Level
Limited Skill Labourers represented the largest skill-level group in , with workers. The group accounted for of the total workforce, compared with in the previous year. The number of workers in this group by .
Occupational Labour accounted for workers in , representing of all workers. Compared with , this group by .
Skilled Labourers numbered in , representing of the workforce. The number of skilled labourers by compared with the previous year.
Specialists accounted for workers in . This skill group represented of the total workforce, compared with in . The number of specialists by .
Technical workers numbered in , representing of all workers. Technical employment by compared with the previous year.
Skill Level by Sex
Within Limited Skill Labourers, females numbered in , while males numbered . Females represented of workers in this skill group, compared with for males.
Among Occupational Labour, female workers numbered , while male workers numbered in . Female employment in this group by , while male employment by .
For Skilled Labourers, males accounted for workers and females accounted for in . Males represented of workers in this skill group, while females represented .
Among Specialists, females numbered and males numbered in . Female employment by , while male employment by .
In the Technical skill group, female workers numbered , compared with male workers in . Females represented of workers in this group, while males represented .
Nationality and Sex
Among Omani workers, females numbered in , compared with in . Omani female employment by . Omani males numbered , representing a .
Among expatriate workers, females numbered in , while males numbered . Female expatriate employment by , while male expatriate employment by .
Overall, the data illustrates the distribution of workers across different skill levels, nationalities and sexes in the Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors. The largest skill group was Limited Skill Labourers, followed by Occupational Labour, Skilled Labourers and Specialists, while the Technical group represented a smaller proportion of the total workforce.
Workers by Educational Levels, Nationality and Sex
Educational attainment provides an important perspective on the qualification structure of employment in Oman. The employment dataset classifies workers across several educational levels, allowing the distribution of employment to be examined from basic literacy and secondary education through diploma, bachelor's, master's and doctoral qualifications.
In , employment among workers with a Bachelor's or equivalent level reached workers, compared with in . This represents a of compared with the previous year. Workers in this category represented of employment across all educational levels.
Workers recorded in the Read and Write category numbered in , compared with in . Employment in this educational category by . It accounted for of employment across the educational-level categories.
Employment among workers with Less than General Diploma qualifications reached in , compared with in the previous year. The category by and represented of the educational-level employment total.
Workers with a General Diploma recorded employed persons in . The corresponding figure in was . Employment in this category by .
Employment among workers with a Diploma or equivalent level qualification reached in , compared with in . This category by during the period.
The Bachelor's or equivalent level category recorded workers in , compared with in the previous year. The number of employed persons by . This category represented of employment across the educational-level categories.
At the postgraduate level, employment among workers with a Master's or equivalent level qualification reached in , compared with in . Employment in this category by .
The Ph.D. category represents the highest educational qualification included in the dataset. Employment among workers with doctoral qualifications reached in , compared with in . The category by compared with the previous year.
The following ranking identifies the five educational categories with the largest numbers of employed persons in the latest available year.
All Sectors
Government Sector
Private and Family Sectors
The educational-level distribution should be interpreted as a complete structure rather than by focusing on a single qualification. Comparing lower educational attainment with diploma, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels provides a clearer picture of the qualifications represented across Oman’s employed population. Changes between years can also help identify shifts in the composition of employment across educational categories.
Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors Workers by Economic Activity, Nationality and Sex
In , the total number of workers in the Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors reached , compared with in . The total workforce by compared with the previous year.
By sex, male workers numbered in , representing of the total workforce. This compares with workers in , with male employment by .
Female workers numbered in , accounting for of the total. Female employment by compared with , when the number of female workers was .
Workers by Nationality
By nationality, Omani workers numbered in , compared with in . The number of Omani workers by during the period.
Expatriate workers numbered in , compared with in . Expatriate employment by compared with the previous year.
Workers by Economic Activity
Construction was the largest economic activity in , employing workers. The activity accounted for of the total workforce, compared with in the previous year. Employment in construction by .
Wholesale, Retail Trade & Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles employed workers in . The activity represented of total workers and by .
Activities of Households as Employers and Undifferentiated Goods- and Services-Producing Activities of Households for Own Use accounted for workers in . This represented of the total workforce, with employment by .
Manufacturing accounted for workers in , representing of the workforce. Compared with the previous year, manufacturing employment by .
Administrative and Support Services Activities employed workers in . The activity accounted for of total employment and by .
Accommodation and Food Service Activities recorded workers in , representing of the total. Employment in this activity by .
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing employed workers in , accounting for of the total workforce. The number of workers in this activity by .
Transport and Storage accounted for workers in , representing of total workers. Employment in this activity by .
Economic Activity by Sex
The distribution of workers by sex varies considerably across economic activities. In Construction, males accounted for workers, representing of workers in the activity, while females numbered , representing .
In Wholesale, Retail Trade & Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles, male workers numbered , while female workers numbered . Female employment in this activity by .
Activities of Households as Employers had a notably different gender distribution. Female workers numbered , representing of workers in the activity, while males numbered .
In Education, females accounted for workers, or of workers in the activity, while males accounted for , or . Female employment in education by .
In Human Health and Social Work Activities, females numbered , representing of workers in the activity. Males numbered , accounting for .
The data also shows strong female participation in several service-oriented activities. In Financial and Insurance Activities, females represented of workers, while in Education and Human Health and Social Work Activities, females represented and , respectively.
Economic Activity and Nationality
The workforce can also be examined by combining economic activity and nationality. This allows the distribution of Omani and expatriate workers to be compared across individual economic activities and provides a more detailed view of the composition of employment in the Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors.
The overall workforce included Omani workers and expatriate workers in . Omani employment by , while expatriate employment by compared with the previous year.
Economic Activity by Nationality and Sex
The combination of economic activity, nationality and sex provides a detailed picture of workforce composition. Among Omani workers, females numbered in , while Omani males numbered . Omani female employment by , compared with a among Omani males.
Among expatriate workers, females numbered , while males numbered in . Expatriate female employment by , while expatriate male employment by .
Overall, the data provides a detailed view of workers in the Private, Family, Communal and Other Sectors by economic activity, nationality and sex. It highlights the concentration of workers in major activities such as Construction, Wholesale and Retail Trade, and Household Activities, while also showing differences in male and female participation across economic activities.
Omani Workers by Sector, Disability type, and Sex
In , total employment covered by the disability statistics reached persons across the available categories. This compares with persons in . Overall employment by compared with the previous year.
Male employment accounted for persons in , compared with in the previous year. Male employment by .
Female employment reached persons in , compared with in the previous year. Female employment by .
The disability statistics provide a more detailed view of employment by distinguishing workers according to their recorded disability type. This classification makes it possible to examine the size of employment associated with each disability category and to compare changes between the latest available year and the previous year.
Top 5 Omani Workers by Type of Disability
All Sectors
Government Sector
Private Sector
Left Service by Sector, Reason, Nationality and Sex
In 2020, the available data recorded 36,598 employees leaving service across the sectors represented in the dataset. Of this total, 15,853 were recorded in the Government Sector, while 20,745 were recorded in the Private Sector.
Government Sector
The Government Sector recorded 15,853 employees leaving service in 2020. The reasons varied considerably, with resignation representing one of the largest categories, followed by retirement at age 60, termination of contract, and transfers to units not subject to the Civil Service Law and its Executive Regulations.
There were 4,975 cases of resignation in the Government Sector. This included 3,673 Omanis and 1,302 expatriates. Among Omanis, there were 1,786 males and 1,887 females, while expatriates included 792 males and 510 females.
Retirement upon reaching the age of 60 accounted for 2,335 cases in the Government Sector. Omanis represented the majority of these cases, with 2,281 employees, compared with 54 expatriates. Among Omani employees, 2,144 were males and 137 were females. Among expatriates, there were 39 males and 15 females.
The Government Sector also recorded 1,890 cases of contract termination. Expatriates accounted for most of these cases, with 1,862 employees, compared with 28 Omanis. The expatriate figures comprised 1,310 males and 552 females, while Omani employees included 21 males and 7 females.
A further 1,753 employees were recorded as leaving because they were transferred to units not subject to the Civil Service Law and its Executive Regulations. This category included 983 Omanis and 482 expatriates. Among Omanis, there were 633 males and 638 females, while expatriates included 346 males and 136 females.
Other Reasons in the Government Sector
The dataset also records leaving service because of death, absence from work, lack of health fitness, and other reasons.
There were 4,472 cases classified as "Others" in the Government Sector. The overwhelming majority were Omanis, with 4,426 cases, compared with 46 expatriates. Omani males accounted for 3,988 cases, while Omani females accounted for 438 cases.
The Government Sector recorded 227 cases resulting from death, including 195 Omanis and 32 expatriates. Omani males accounted for 153 cases, compared with 42 Omani females, while expatriates accounted for 28 males and 4 females.
There were also 133 cases associated with absence from work. These consisted of 34 Omanis and 99 expatriates. The expatriate figures included 64 males and 35 females, while Omanis included 32 males and 2 females.
A total of 68 cases were recorded under lack of health fitness. This included 67 Omanis and one expatriate. Omani males accounted for 42 cases, while Omani females accounted for 25 cases.
Private Sector The sample records 20,745 employees leaving service in the Private Sector in 2020. Unlike the Government Sector, the available Private Sector records in the sample are for Omani employees, with the principal reasons including death, retirement at age 60, early retirement, and lack of health fitness.
The largest category shown in the Private Sector sample is death, with 6,825 cases. This consisted of 6,480 males and 345 females. Retirement upon reaching the age of 60 accounted for 6,308 cases, including 5,075 males and 1,233 females.
The dataset also records 4,058 cases of early retirement, comprising 3,049 males and 1,009 females.
Lack of health fitness accounted for 3,547 cases, including 2,849 males and 698 females.
The category "Others" contained 7 cases, all involving males, while Job Cancellation recorded no cases in the supplied 2020 sample.
Nationality and Sex
The data also allows the distribution of employees leaving service to be examined by nationality and sex.
In the Government Sector, both Omanis and expatriates are represented. The distribution varies substantially according to the reason for leaving service. For example, resignation includes substantial numbers of both Omanis and expatriates, whereas retirement at age 60 is predominantly represented by Omani employees in the supplied data.
Sex differences are also visible across the reasons. For example, among Omani Government Sector employees retiring at age 60, males accounted for 2,144 cases, compared with 137 females. Similarly, among Omani employees classified under "Others", there were 3,988 males compared with 438 females.
In the Private Sector records supplied for 2020, the cases shown are Omani employees. Males accounted for the majority of cases across the principal categories, including death, early retirement, lack of health fitness, and retirement at age 60.
Overall Picture
The 2020 sample shows that employees left service for a variety of reasons, and the pattern differs between the Government and Private Sectors.
The Government Sector shows a broad range of recorded reasons, including resignation, retirement at age 60, contract termination, transfers, death, absence from work, health fitness, and other reasons. The Private Sector sample is concentrated around death, early retirement, retirement at age 60, and lack of health fitness.
The data therefore provides several dimensions for analyzing employee departures: when employees left, where they worked, why they left, their nationality, and their sex. Examining these dimensions together can reveal how the composition of employees leaving service changes across sectors and over time.
For Oman Analyzer, the data can also be explored interactively by selecting a sector, reason, nationality, or sex and comparing the resulting figures across years.
Pensioners by Sector, Retirement Reason and Sex
In , Oman recorded employees associated with recorded retirement or service-ending reasons, compared with in .
This represents a compared with the previous year.
Top Retirement Reasons
The following are the leading recorded retirement reasons based on the number of cases in the latest available year.
All Sectors
Government Sector
Private Sector
Retirement Reasons by Sex
The data also provides a comparison of recorded retirement reasons between male and female employees.
Male Employees
In , males accounted for recorded cases, compared with in .
The number of male employees by compared with the previous year.
Female Employees
In , females accounted for recorded cases, compared with in .
The number of female employees by compared with the previous year.
Detailed Retirement Reasons
The following analysis provides a detailed comparison of each recorded retirement reason between the latest and previous available years.
Workers by Sector, Governorate, Nationality and Sex
Employment in Oman has a distinct geographical dimension, with employment opportunities and workforce concentrations varying across the country's governorates. Examining employment at the governorate level provides a more detailed understanding of how the national labour market is distributed geographically and how employment changes from one region to another.
In the latest available data, — people were employed in Muscat in —, compared with — in —. This represents a — — annual change in employment.
Outside Muscat, employment is also distributed across the governorates of Oman, including Ad Dakhliyah, Al Batinah North, Al Batinah South, Al Buraymi, Adh Dhahirah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah North, Ash Sharqiyah South, Dhofar, and Musandam. The latest figures provide an opportunity to examine the scale and direction of employment in each governorate and to identify differences in the development of regional labour markets.
In Al Batinah North, employment reached — in —, compared with — in the previous year. Employment therefore — — over the period.
In Al Batinah South, the number of employed persons stood at — in —, compared with — in —. The annual change was — — .
Ad Dakhliyah recorded — employed persons in —, compared with — in the previous year. This corresponds to an annual — — change.
Employment in Dhofar stood at — in —, compared with — in —. The governorate recorded — — in employment compared with the previous year.
Other governorates also contribute to Oman's overall employment structure. In Al Buraymi, employment reached — in —, while Adh Dhahirah recorded — . Their respective annual changes were — — and — — .
In Al Wusta, employment stood at — in —, compared with — in the previous year. The annual movement was — — .
The two governorates of Ash Sharqiyah also form an important part of the geographical employment picture. Ash Sharqiyah North recorded — employed persons, while Ash Sharqiyah South recorded — in the latest year. Their annual employment changes were — — and — — , respectively.
Musandam, despite its smaller employment base, is also included in the governorate-level analysis. Employment reached — in —, compared with — in the previous year, representing — — .
These differences demonstrate why governorate-level statistics are important when interpreting employment in Oman. The size of employment in a governorate reflects the scale of its local workforce and economic activity, while the annual growth rate provides an indication of how employment is changing over time. Neither measure should be interpreted in isolation; differences between governorates can also reflect variations in population, economic structure, business activity, and the concentration of public and private institutions.
The governorate perspective becomes even more informative when employment is examined alongside nationality, sex, and sector. These dimensions help reveal differences in the composition of regional workforces and provide a deeper understanding of how employment is distributed across Oman. The following analysis therefore allows users to move from the overall governorate employment level to more detailed comparisons of Omani and expatriate employment, male and female employment, and employment across the Government Sector and Private and Family Sectors.
Top 5 Employment Distribution by Governorate in
All Sectors
Government Sector
Private and Family Sectors
Unemployments rats in Oman
The overall unemployment rate provides a general measure of unemployment among the labour force in Oman. The latest rate is compared with the previous year to show the direction and magnitude of change.
In N/A, the unemployment rate was N/A%, compared with N/A% in N/A.
This represents a N/A percentage-point change compared with the previous year.
The male unemployment rate was N/A% in N/A, compared with N/A% in N/A.
The rate recorded a N/A percentage-point change year over year.
The female unemployment rate was N/A% in N/A, compared with N/A% in N/A.
The rate recorded a N/A percentage-point change year over year.
Unemployment varies substantially across age groups, with the highest rates concentrated among younger people and progressively lower rates among older age groups. For ages 18–24, the unemployment rate was N/A% in N/A.
The rate for ages 25–29 was considerably lower at N/A%, followed by N/A% for ages 30–34 and N/A% for ages 35–39.
Among people aged 40 and above, unemployment was lowest, at N/A%. This pattern points to a clear age gradient, with unemployment generally declining as age increases. Year-on-year movements also varied across the age groups.
The rate for ages 25–29 changed by N/A percentage points, while the corresponding changes were N/A for ages 30–34, N/A for ages 35–39, and N/A for those aged 40 and above.
The available figures therefore suggest that age remains an important factor in unemployment, particularly for younger labour-force participants, while older age groups recorded substantially lower unemployment rates.
Unemployment rates in Oman show differences across educational levels and between males and females. The latest figures provide a detailed view of how unemployment varies by educational attainment and how these rates have changed compared with the previous year.
Overall, the unemployment rate stood at N/A% in N/A, compared with N/A% in N/A. This represents a N/A percentage-point change .
Across educational levels, the highest unemployment rate was recorded among N/A , at N/A% , while the lowest rate was recorded among N/A , at N/A% .
The unemployment rate for General Diploma holders was N/A% , compared with N/A% in the previous year, representing a N/A percentage-point change .
Among those with a Diploma or equivalent level, the rate reached N/A% . This was N/A percentage points different from the previous year.
For individuals with a Bachelor's or equivalent level, unemployment stood at N/A% , compared with N/A% previously. The rate therefore recorded a N/A percentage-point change .
The lowest educational-level rate was associated with Master's degree, Ph.D. or equivalent level , at N/A% in the latest year.
The gender breakdown shows a substantial difference in unemployment rates across educational levels. In the latest year, the overall male unemployment rate was N/A% , while the corresponding female rate was N/A% .
Among females, the highest unemployment rate was recorded for N/A , at N/A% . For males, the highest rate was associated with N/A , at N/A% .
The largest gender difference was observed among N/A , where the female unemployment rate was N/A% compared with N/A% for males, a difference of N/A percentage points .
Changes in unemployment varied across educational levels and between males and females. Among females, the largest reduction occurred for N/A , where the rate changed by N/A percentage points .
For males, the most notable movement was recorded among N/A , with a change of N/A percentage points .
Overall, the educational-level data show that unemployment rates differ considerably according to both educational attainment and sex. The contrast is particularly visible across diploma and bachelor's-level qualifications, while postgraduate-level unemployment remains comparatively low.
Employment and Unemployment by Governorate and Sex
Job Seekers by Governorate, Wilayat, Education Level, Qualification, Marital Status, Age Group and Sex
The total number of job seekers in reached approximately job seekers, compared with in . The annual comparison indicates of job seekers, equivalent to compared with the previous year.
This indicator reflects the overall change in the number of job seekers between the latest two years available. An increase or decrease in the number does not necessarily indicate a single specific cause; the trend should instead be interpreted alongside other economic, demographic, and labor market indicators.
Geographical Distribution by Governorate
The geographical distribution highlights differences in the number of job seekers across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. This comparison helps identify the governorate with the largest number of job seekers, together with its share of the total and the direction of change compared with the previous year.
recorded the highest number of job seekers in , with a total of job seekers.
This number represents approximately of the total number of job seekers. Compared with , the number recorded an of job seekers, representing a change of .
This indicator helps illustrate the geographical concentration of job seekers. However, a higher number in a particular governorate does not, by itself, indicate the performance of its labor market unless it is considered alongside population size, the labor force, and other relevant economic indicators.
Distribution by Wilayat
The Wilayat-level analysis provides a more detailed view of the geographical distribution of job seekers and helps highlight areas that account for a larger share of the total number of job seekers.
In the latest available year, recorded the highest number among the available data, with job seekers.
This represents approximately of the total number of job seekers. Compared with , the number recorded an of job seekers, representing a change of .
This indicator illustrates the level of concentration within governorates and provides a more detailed perspective by moving from the governorate level to the Wilayat level.
Job Seekers by Educational Level
Educational level is one of the key dimensions for understanding the characteristics of job seekers. This indicator compares the distribution of job seekers across different educational levels, with particular attention to the category representing the largest share of the total.
was the most represented educational level among job seekers in , with job seekers.
This category accounted for approximately of the total number of job seekers. Compared with , it recorded an of job seekers, representing a change of .
The distribution of job seekers by educational level helps provide insight into the relationship between human capital characteristics and employment opportunities. However, this indicator alone is not sufficient to determine whether qualifications and fields of study are aligned with labor market requirements.
Job Seekers by Qualification
This section presents the distribution of job seekers by qualification, providing a more detailed understanding of their educational composition than the general educational-level classification.
The qualification recorded the highest number of job seekers in , with a total of job seekers.
This category accounted for approximately of the total. It also recorded an compared with the previous year, amounting to job seekers, equivalent to a change of .
Job Seekers by Marital Status
The distribution of job seekers by marital status provides insight into the demographic characteristics of this group and shows the contribution of each marital-status category to the total number of job seekers.
The category was the largest in terms of the number of job seekers in , with job seekers.
This category represented of the total number of job seekers and recorded an of compared with the previous year, equivalent to a change of .
Job Seekers by Age Group
The distribution of job seekers by age helps identify the age groups with the strongest representation among the total number of job seekers and allows annual changes within these groups to be monitored.
The age group recorded the highest number of job seekers in , with a total of job seekers.
This group represented of the total number of job seekers. Compared with the previous year, it recorded an of job seekers, representing a change of .
This indicator highlights the age groups most represented among job seekers and can be considered together with educational and geographical indicators to provide a more comprehensive picture of job seeker characteristics.
Job Seekers by Sex
The distribution by sex highlights differences in the number of male and female job seekers, while showing the annual change for each group separately.
The number of male job seekers in reached approximately job seekers, compared with in . This represents an of job seekers, equivalent to a change of .
The number of female job seekers in reached approximately female job seekers, compared with in . This represents an of female job seekers, equivalent to a change of .
Comparing male and female job seekers helps highlight differences in annual trends between the two groups. These results are best interpreted alongside age, educational, and geographical distributions to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the data.
Detailed Analysis of Job Seekers
Analysis of job seeker data is not limited to identifying the category with the largest number. It also involves monitoring changes between years, measuring the absolute change in the number of job seekers, calculating the percentage change, and examining each category's share of the total.
Taken together, these indicators provide a clearer picture of changes in the number of job seekers and their distribution by governorate, Wilayat, educational level, qualification, marital status, age group, and sex.
An increase or decrease in any category should be interpreted as a descriptive change in the data and should not be considered direct evidence of a specific underlying cause. Economic or social interpretation requires these results to be considered alongside other relevant indicators.