The Jordanian labor market saw unemployment stabilize at 21.4% during the first quarter of 2024, remaining unchanged from the figures recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023, and compared to 21.95% reported in the first quarter of 2023, according to data from the Jordanian Department of Statistics.
This was stated in a release issued today, Sunday, by the department, which stated that the male unemployment rate reached 17.4% during the first quarter of 2024, a decrease of 2.2 percentage points on an annual basis.
Meanwhile, the female unemployment rate reached 34.7% during the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 4 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2023, according to the statement.
The pace of unemployment has gradually declined after reaching nearly 24% during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Jordanian government says the war in Gaza has negatively impacted markets in Jordan.
The unemployment rate among university graduates (the number of unemployed individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher divided by the labor force with the same educational qualification) was 25.8% compared to other educational levels.
At the level of Jordanian governorates, the highest unemployment rate was recorded in Mafraq Governorate (northeast of Amman) at a rate of 23.4%, while the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Jerash Governorate (north of Amman) at a rate of 18.4%.
Reuters reported that economists doubt the official unemployment figures, considering them unrealistic, at a time when job creation for youth remains a concern for the Jordanian government eager to stimulate economic growth.
