Jobs, economy top Jordanians’ 2020 priorities — survey

AMMAN — A recent opinion poll has revealed that 51 per cent of Jordanians are optimistic going into the new year, while 31 per cent are pessimistic over corruption and bad economic conditions. 

The poll, conducted by the Department of Public Opinion Polls and Surveys from December 20 to 24 and issued by the Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, surveyed a representative sample of 1,712 Jordanians from all governorates and 672 opinion leaders, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported on Monday.

Included in the “Jordan Street Pulse” poll series, the study addressed Jordanians' priorities for 2020 regarding security, the economy and politics. It also took stock of Jordanians' view of the internal threats that face the Kingdom, Jordanian-Israeli ties, the Palestinian cause, the Syrian crisis and refugees. 

The results showed that the majority of both samples believed that Jordanian-Israeli ties are "bad", with both groups unanimously agreeing that maintaining the minimal ties with the Israeli side and dealing with more decisive manner is in the Kingdom's best interests. 

The majority of the respondents believe that 2020 will see no solution for the Palestinian cause, the Syrian crisis or refugees' return. 

Providing jobs, addressing unemployment and improving the economic conditions should be the main priorities in 2020, according to 54 per cent of respondents, followed by pay increase and improving citizens' living conditions at 18 per cent.    

According to the survey, corruption and favouritism are the most pressing local issues for the citizen survey respondents, while poverty and unemployment are the main threats according to the opinion leaders surveyed. 

Seventy-six per cent of the surveyed opinion leaders and 38 per cent of the national respondents had heard about the government's decisions and measures to stimulate the economy, while 64 per cent of the two groups said that the packages will have a "very positive" or "significant" impact on them personally.

The results also showed that 76 per cent of the national sample and 71 per cent of the opinion leaders expressed optimism that the government's stimulus packages will have a "positive" or "very positive" impact.