Amman, Oct. 2 (Petra) – The Department of Statistics (DoS), in cooperation with the World Bank and in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, launched on Thursday an analytical study titled "Jordan’s Labor Market: Facts and Figures." Director General of the DoS Haidar Freihat said the eight-month study aims to provide an evidence-based analysis of Jordan’s labor market and offer forward-looking scenarios. He noted that it is part of a series of specialized labor market studies designed to align the DoS research plans with those of the Ministry of Labor and to strengthen the use of data in policymaking. The report covers key themes such as employment, unemployment, workforce characteristics, the informal labor market, and newly created jobs.
Freihat stressed that the findings provide an important reference for government institutions, civil society, international organizations, and donors concerned with the social and economic dimensions of Jordan’s labor market.
He emphasized that the partnership with the World Bank provided technical and knowledge-based support to enhance national capacities in line with Jordan’s priorities for building a more inclusive and competitive economy.
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Labor Abdul-Halim Doujan described the study as more than statistics, calling it a "roadmap" for a deeper understanding of the labor market’s realities, challenges, and opportunities. He highlighted issues such as the prevalence of informal labor, the limited uptake of vocational education, and the need to better align technical training with market needs.
According to the study’s findings, Jordan’s employment rate dropped from 56.7% in 2017 to 45% in 2023, while unemployment rose to 22% in 2023 compared with 18.3% in 2017. Female unemployment stood at 30.7%, significantly higher than the male rate of 19.6%. Youth unemployment (ages 15–24) reached 46.5%, the highest among all age groups.
The private sector employs 61.4% of workers compared with 37.7% in the public sector, with most female workers concentrated in education and health. Informal employment was found to be more widespread in governorates such as Tafileh and Aqaba, while organized labor is concentrated in Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid.
The study also reported that 95,342 new jobs were created in 2023, up by 5,838 compared with 2022, mostly concentrated in urban areas. This, the report said, underscores the need to redistribute investments toward remote regions.
Meanwhile, data from the Civil Service Bureau indicated 486,118 pending job applications in 2023, 86.5% of which were from university graduates, highlighting the challenge of public sector absorption.
//Petra// AO
