‘One of every two new jobs created in Jordan goes to a foreigner’

AMMAN — One of every two jobs created in Jordan goes to a foreigner, a researcher said on Thursday, citing a study by the Economic Research Foundation.

“The problem in Jordan is that some of the jobs created by the economy are not desired by university graduates,” said Ragui Assaad, a research fellow of the Economic Research Forum in Cairo who also serves as the forum’s thematic director for labour and human resource development. 

Speaking at a workshop ahead of the 17th World Congress of the International Economic Association (IEA), Assaad noted that in Jordan, high unemployment is persistent even when there is economic growth.

Foreign workers, mostly Egyptians, are taking jobs that Jordanians are reluctant to take.

“The low quality of jobs compared to the expectations of the graduates makes them remain unemployed, thus keeping unemployment rates high in spite of economic growth,” he added.

The mismatch between the skills of university graduates and those needed in the labour market continues to be an issue in Jordan, Assaad said.

The study, which covered 5,102 households and 25,969 individuals, listed several obstacles that prevent women from taking up a job, including marriage, long working hours and low benefits.

“Women in Jordan prefer to work in a government agency. Women who work in the public sector in Jordan continue to work even after getting married, while the percentage of women who work in the private sector declines dramatically when they marry,” said Rana Hendy, an economist at the Economic Research Forum.

Citing the study, conducted by the forum in cooperation with the National Centre for Human Resources Development and the Department of Statistics, Hendy said female labour participation in Jordan is one of the lowest in the region.

The IEA congress opens on Friday at the Dead Sea with the participation of more than 600 economists, politicians, decision makers and politicians from across the world to discuss regional and international economic and political challenges.