On the Job

Economic growth and job creation remain key challenges for Jordan, where the economy has only grown by an annual average of 2.5 percent over the past decade. Unemployment is persistently high (22.3 percent in 2023), particularly for youth (46.1 percent). Women, too, face significant structural barriers to working, from legal restrictions to lack of childcare; at 13.5 percent, Jordan's female labor force participation rate is one of the lowest in the world. Adding to these challenges is Jordan's large Syrian refugee population, who numbered some 1.3 million in 2023. One of the government's main objectives under the Economic Modernization Vision is to create economic opportunities by improving the livelihoods of vulnerable groups, increasing labor force participation, encouraging entrepreneurship, and expanding vocational and technical education and training