The Labor Force Survey, done every three months by Jordan’s Department of Statistics, gives useful data about unemployment. The survey includes 16,560 households across all parts of the country. People are asked if they looked for a job in the past four weeks, following international methods.

In the first quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate in Jordan was 21.3 per cent, slightly lower than the same period in 2024 (by 0.1 per cent). This small drop could show that the labor market is improving slowly, possibly because of better economic growth early this year. Over the last three years, unemployment went down by 1.5 percentage points, which is a good sign for job creation.

However, there is a clear difference between men and women. Unemployment for men rose to 18.6 per cent, while for women it dropped to 31.2 per cent. This may be because some sectors that hire more women have improved recently.

Also, 40 per cent of unemployed people have less than a high school education, while 60 per cent finished high school or more. This shows that many job seekers may not have the right skills for the job market. It also shows the need for better education and job training.

Among those who have jobs, 46.4 per cent did not finish high school, 10.3 per cent have a high school diploma, and 43 per cent have more than a high school education. This means many jobs still go to workers with fewer qualifications, while university graduates may struggle to find jobs that fit their degrees. The low percentage of high school graduates in the labor force shows that this level of education may not be enough to get a good job. Jordan needs stronger vocational and technical education to help more people get useful skills.

Even though unemployment for women has gone down, women’s participation in the economy is still very low. Only 14.5 per cent of women were part of the workforce in early 2025, compared to 51.2 per cent of men. This big gap shows that women still face many challenges, like fewer job options, family responsibilities, and work conditions that don’t support them. To improve this, the country needs to create more flexible jobs and support women’s economic role.

Foreign workers made up 44 per cent of all workers in Q1 2025, down from 44.7 per cent in 2022. This small drop may be the result of new labor policies or better job chances for Jordanians. This is a good sign for reducing local unemployment.

In short, Jordan still faces high unemployment. The main problems include high joblessness among men, low involvement of women in the workforce, and a mismatch between what people study and what jobs are available. Jordan must improve vocational training, support the private sector, attract more investment, and create jobs. It should also help women and people with lower education levels join the labor market more easily.

Raad Mahmoud Al-Tal is head of Economics Department – University of Jordan- [email protected]