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KSA Identifies 6 Ways to Support Industrial Sector Development

Photo of the meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Photo of the meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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KSA Identifies 6 Ways to Support Industrial Sector Development

Photo of the meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Photo of the meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday (Asharq Al-Awsat).

The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry has identified six main ways to address in the industrial sector, mainly issues related to finance, exports, legislation and local content.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the chairman of the Industrial Committee, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, said that working groups were formed to set a road map and a work program, adding that a workshop was held on Monday to discuss means to develop the industrial sector in a number of targeted fields.

He noted that attention was focused on addressing financing and exports issues, including financial support for factories facing economic difficulties, in addition to activating programs provided by governmental and semi-governmental funds and institutions and encouraging trade exchange with countries that have commercial relations with the Kingdom.

For his part, member of the Saudi Shura Council, Fadl Al-Buainain, told Asharq Al-Awsat that despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Industry figures growth rate of factories increased by 9 percent during the period extending from Sept. 2019 till Sept. 2020.

The total volume of investments in the industrial sector jumped to one trillion riyals, an increase of 7 percent, which gives reason for optimism for the future growth in 2021, according to Buainain.

He noted in this regard that the Ministry of Industry’s strategy focuses on localization, enhancing local content and creating more jobs.

The industrial sector today needs a national strategy for the manufacturing industries, which is the most important element to diversify the sector and increase its size, he emphasized.

Monday’s workshop, which was organized by the Riyadh Chamber, reviewed strategic matters for the industrial sector, mainly the productivity program, the establishment of the National Center for Industrial Information and other objectives that fall within the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

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US Applications for Jobless Claims Fall to 201,000, Lowest Level in Nearly a Year

A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
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US Applications for Jobless Claims Fall to 201,000, Lowest Level in Nearly a Year

A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

US applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in nearly a year last week, pointing to a still healthy labor market with historically low layoffs.

The Labor Department on Wednesday said that applications for jobless benefits fell to 201,000 for the week ending January 4, down from the previous week's 211,000. This week's figure is the lowest since February of last year.

The four-week average of claims, which evens out the week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 10,250 to 213,000.

The overall numbers receiving unemployment benefits for the week of December 28 rose to 1.87 million, an increase of 33,000 from the previous week, according to The AP.

The US job market has cooled from the red-hot stretch of 2021-2023 when the economy was rebounding from COVID-19 lockdowns.

Through November, employers added an average of 180,000 jobs a month in 2024, down from 251,000 in 2023, 377,000 in 2022 and a record 604,000 in 2021. Still, even the diminished job creation is solid and a sign of resilience in the face of high interest rates.

When the Labor Department releases hiring numbers for December on Friday, they’re expected to show that employers added 160,000 jobs last month.

On Tuesday, the government reported that US job openings rose unexpectedly in November, showing companies are still looking for workers even as the labor market has loosened. Openings rose to 8.1 million in November, the most since February and up from 7.8 million in October,

The weekly jobless claims numbers are a proxy for layoffs, and those have remained below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate is at a modest 4.2%, though that is up from a half century low 3.4% reached in 2023.

To fight inflation that hit four-decade highs two and a half years ago, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Inflation came down — from 9.1% in mid-2022 to 2.7% in November, allowing the Fed to start cutting rates. But progress on inflation has stalled in recent months, and year-over-year consumer price increases are stuck above the Fed’s 2% target.

In December, the Fed cut its benchmark interest rate for the third time in 2024, but the central bank’s policymakers signaled that they’re likely to be more cautious about future rate cuts. They projected just two in 2025, down from the four they had envisioned in September.