Youth at the center of Kuwait’s unemployment challenge as job seekers exceed 12,000

Unemployment among Kuwaiti citizens continues to be heavily concentrated among younger age groups, according to newly released figures showing that the total number of unemployed Kuwaitis and registered job seekers reached 12,163 by the end of the first half of this year.

Data compiled from the Civil Service Commission and the Public Authority for Manpower indicates that unemployment remains largely a youth-driven phenomenon, with individuals in their twenties forming the overwhelming majority across both the public and private sector applicant pools.

Figures from the Central Statistical Bureau, according to Al-Rai daily, reveal that 6,863 unemployed Kuwaitis are currently registered within the Civil Service Commission’s employment systems, which handle applications for government-sector jobs. Of these, 3,503 are men, accounting for just over half of the total, while 3,360 are women.

The duration of unemployment varies, with 2,582 individuals having remained registered for a year or longer. Another 2,371 have been seeking employment for periods ranging between six and eleven months, while 1,910 have been on the rolls for less than five months.

Age distribution highlights a clear trend: approximately 61.6 percent of unemployed Kuwaitis registered with the Civil Service fall within the 20–29 age bracket, totaling 4,234 individuals. This underscores the scale of employment challenges facing new entrants to the labor market.

From a social perspective, unmarried Kuwaitis represent the largest share of the unemployed, accounting for 58.3 percent, or 4,002 individuals. Married job seekers number 2,011, while the remaining cases include 819 divorced individuals and 31 widowed citizens.

Gender patterns within marital status further illustrate disparities. Unmarried men dominate unemployment figures, totaling 2,435 compared to 1,567 unmarried women. Among married job seekers, however, women outnumber men, with 1,269 married women unemployed compared to 742 married men.

Educational attainment data points to a concentration of unemployment among degree holders. Among men, higher proportions are observed among those with university degrees, diplomas and intermediate qualifications. For women, unemployment is largely centered among university graduates and those with intermediate education.

In total, 2,481 unemployed Kuwaitis hold university degrees, alongside 817 diploma holders and 793 secondary school graduates. Female university graduates form the largest single category, numbering 1,552.

Separate figures from the Public Authority for Manpower — which manages employment applications for the private sector — show that 5,300 Kuwaiti job seekers are currently registered. Women account for 52.6 percent of this group, totaling 2,787, compared to 2,513 men.

Waiting times among private-sector job seekers remain relatively short, with 2,657 applicants registered for less than one month, while 2,643 have been seeking work for periods between one and five months.

Age concentration is even more pronounced in the private-sector pool. Nearly 94.1 percent of registered job seekers fall within the 20–29 age group, totaling 4,987 individuals, further reinforcing the youth-heavy nature of unemployment in Kuwait.
Unmarried individuals again dominate this segment, representing 79.6 percent of private-sector job seekers, or 4,217 people, including 1,895 women.

Educational data shows that male job seekers in the private sector are primarily university graduates or diploma holders, while the majority of unemployed women possess university degrees. Overall, 2,948 job seekers hold university qualifications, alongside 1,501 diploma holders and 261 secondary school graduates.

The figures collectively highlight a pressing challenge for policymakers: aligning education outcomes with labor market needs and expanding meaningful employment opportunities for young Kuwaitis as they transition from education into the workforce.