The latest official report reveals a positive trend in Jordan’s labor market, with the unemployment rate experiencing a notable decline of 0.8 percentage points during the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, now standing at 22.3 percent.
Breaking down the data, the report highlights a decrease in the unemployment rate for males, reaching 19.8 percent, a 0.7 percent drop, and for females, a more substantial decrease of 1.4 percent to 31.7 percent, according to a quarterly report released by the Department of Statistics on Wednesday.
When comparing the unemployment rates for the third quarter of 2023 with the previous quarter, it is observed that the unemployment rate for males decreased by 0.2 percent, while there was a slight increase of 0.8 percent for females.
The report also delves into the educational aspect, indicating that the unemployment rate reached 28.3 percent among individuals with university degrees. Furthermore, 57.6 percent of the total unemployed population held a
high school certificate or higher, with 41.8 percent having qualifications below high school.
At the governorate level, Ma’an recorded the highest unemployment rate at 27.0 percent, while Aqaba reported the lowest at 18.1 percent.
Examining age and gender distribution, the report highlights that 60.0 percent of male workers were concentrated in the age group of 20-39 years, while 59.8 percent of female workers fell within the same age range.
There is a notable disparity in the distribution of the labor force concerning educational levels and gender. Specifically, 57.4 percent of the total male labor force had educational levels below secondary school, in contrast to 9.4 percent for females. Additionally, 73.2 percent of the total female workforce possessed a bachelor’s level of education or higher, compared to 25.1 percent among males.
The revised economic participation rate for the third quarter of the current year stands at 32.6 percent, with 52.7 percent for males and 13.5 percent for females. This ref
lects a slight decrease from the third quarter of the previous year when the rates were 33.0 percent, 52.5 percent for males, and 13.7 percent for females.
Source: Jordan News Agency