Young Jordanians believe Syrians should only work in specific jobs — survey

AMMAN — Young Jordanians believe they should be given priority in the job market, while Syrians should only work in specific jobs such as in the agriculture and construction sectors, according to a survey.

In contrast, young Syrian refugees believe they have the right to work in Jordan due to the difficult socio-economic conditions they live under and because they have been “abandoned by international agencies”.

Conducted by the Ministry of Social Development, the “Voice of unemployed Jordanian and Syrian youth refugees” survey showed that young people face many obstacles when looking for jobs.

The survey, which covered a “small” sample of 78 young Jordanians and Syrians from several areas in the Kingdom, was conducted to identify the perception of unemployed youths about the jobs they are looking for and the reasons for not finding work. 

Jordanians constituted two-thirds of the sample, according to the survey, which was sent to The Jordan Times.

Unemployment in Jordan stood at 12.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2015, reaching 11 per cent among men and 22.1 per cent among women, according to a Department of Statistics study released in April.

Minister of Social Development Reem Abu Hassan presented the survey’s results at the United Nations’ Demographic Dividend and Youth Forum in New York this week.

One of its main findings is that unemployed young people lack the qualifications to enter the job market.

The study also lists the lack of mastering foreign languages as another reason for not finding jobs.

The surveyed sample called for policies and measures that will contribute to their economic empowerment. 

These include implementing decentralisation at the governorate level, increasing the minimum wage, monitoring the private sector and coming up with “fair” employment criteria.