Unemployment rises to 18.4% in first quarter of 2018

AMMAN — The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2018 stood at 18.4 per cent, up by 0.2 per cent when compared to the first quarter of 2017, the Department of Statistics (DoS) announced on Sunday.

Unemployment among males in the January-March period of this year stood at 16 per cent, while among females it was 27.8 per cent, according to a statement from DoS.

Taking gender into consideration, data show that the rate among males rose by 2.1 per cent, while it decreased among females by 5.2 per cent during the first quarter of 2018, compared to the same quarter of 2017.

Statistics on jobless people show that unemployment rate was high among holders of university degrees (unemployed individuals who hold a bachelor's degree or higher divided by the work force for the same academic qualification), standing at 24.1 per cent.

Data showed that 54.6 per cent of unemployed people hold a high school certificate and higher, DoS said, adding that the percentage of jobless males who hold a bachelor's degree and higher stood at 26 per cent, compared to 77.1 among females who hold a bachelor's degree and higher. 

The governorate with the highest unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2018 was Maan with 21.9 per cent, while Karak registered the lowest rate with 15.9 per cent.

On the other hand, the employed people who are 15 years and older constitute 29.8 per cent, DoS pointed out, adding that 59.7 per cent of working males are in the age group of 20-39 years, while working females in the same age group amounted to 63.9 per cent.