Transport Ministry to employ women

Transport Minister Sulaiman Al-Hamdan has ordered departments in his ministry to have separate women’s sections for female workers.

The minister has specifically said that these separate wings for women should have special facilities to ensure their privacy.
In preparation for the arrangements, the ministry has appointed women supervisors to oversee the new setup to ensure that all facilities and services that are needed for female workers are met.
According to the minister’s directive, the special arrangements for women should be completed within a set time frame.
Hoshan Ghada, director of administration for women’s affairs, said jobs will be created for women workers and they will be trained accordingly. Ghada said that these arrangements are being made in line with Vision 2030.
The Ministry of Transport has already advertised for female workers on its official website. Vacancies are available for women in all parts of the Kingdom and applicants are advised to apply for posts available in their respective areas of work.
A total of 806,000 Saudi women are now employed across 20 sectors in the country, according to figures at the end of 2014.
Of this total, 71 percent work in education, 13 percent in human health and social services, and 5 percent in public administration, defense and social security. There are also women employed in production, manufacturing, mining, agriculture, forestry and fishing.
In addition, 1,506 female students, aged 15 to 19, were working at the end of 2014. Of this total, 42 percent were employed in education, 32 percent in human health and social services and 29 percent in manufacturing.
Tayseer Al-Mufrej, director of the media center at the Ministry of Labor, said these figures are for students working part time in certain sectors. Students must be at least 16 to be eligible for employment, according to international law, he said.
Observers believe that some women under 20 work out of financial need, with an element of fake Saudization where companies hire workers to improve their quotas under the Nitaqat system.
“The Ministry of Labor and Social Development encourages students to work, and calculates their employment toward Saudization quotas.” Al-Mufrej said these jobs help prepare young women for the labor market, and makes them more professional.
Employment statistics are collected through sample surveys conducted by the Department of General Statistics, which is the main source of all labor market data.
Regarding Saudi male employees under 20, statistics reveal 20,600 were employed by the end of 2014, a 32 percent rise from the previous year.
According to the latest statistics, the number of small businesses with 10 employees or less fell by 11 percent, from 1.7 million in 2012 to 1.5 million in 2013. These enterprises are required to hire at least one Saudi employee.
Firms with 10 to 49 employees declined by 9 percent, totaling 213,300 by the end of 2013.
In contrast, the number of medium-sized enterprises grew by 45 percent, increasing from 26,200 in 2012 to 37,900 by the end of 2013.
The number of large companies grew by 14 percent to 4,600. Large companies with 500 to 2,999 employees increased by 14 percent, to 3,700 at the end 2013.