Unemployment rate increased to reach 23% in second-quarter of 2020 — DoS figures

AMMAN — The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2020 stood at 23 per cent, up by 3.8 per cent compared with the same period of 2019, the Department of Statistics (DoS) said on Tuesday.

The unemployment rate among men in the aforementioned period amounted to 21.5 per cent, compared with 28.5 per cent among women, adding that the rates increased by 4.4 per cent and 1.4 per cent among males and females, respectively, the DoS noted in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The joblessness rate among holders of university degrees stood at 26.6 per cent, the department said, noting that 51.6 per cent of unemployed individuals hold a secondary school certificate and higher.

The DoS said that a total of 48.4 per cent of unemployed people hold educational qualifications that are lower than a secondary certificate.

As for the characteristics of the Jordanian labour force, the results presented “a significant variation” among males and females in relation to their educational level, where 59.3 per cent of the total male labour force is below the secondary educational level against 12.7 per cent for females.

Meanwhile, around 68.7 per cent of the total labour force among females holds a bachelor’s degree or higher educational level as compared with 24.9 per cent among males.