12.1% the unemployment rate during the first quarter of 2009

The quarterly report issued by the Department of Statistics for the first quarter of 2009 show that the employment rate is 12.1% (9.7% for males against 23.1% for females), while the employment rate for the fourth quarter of 2008 was 12%. It is worthy to mention that the employment and unemployment surveys, which are carried out in the middle of each quarter provide data that reflect the reality of the whole quarter (January, February and March).

Quarterly and annual Unemployment rates for 2006 – first quarter of 2009 (%)

The survey's results show that unemployment rate was high among bachelor degree holders or higher by (15.6%) as compared with other educational levels. For age groups 15-19 years and 20-24 years, the average was 33.7% and 24.3% respectively as compared with other age groups.

As for the educational level, the results indicate that 1% of unemployed are illiterate, 47% less than secondary (65% for males compared to 10% for females) while 59% hold a bachelor degree or higher.

As for the employed, the quarterly results show that about 64.3% of males were within the age group 20-39 years, compared with 79% for females and that the educational qualifications of about 51% of them were less than secondary, 12% are holders of secondary qualifications and 35% are holders of higher than the secondary.

With regards to the nature of the work, the survey shows that 21% of male workers are employed in elementary occupations, while the percentage of workers in professions and specialized professions were   18.2% and 16.4% each respectively. Among working females 50.2% of them are in the specialized professions and 22.4% in the profession of technicians and specialized assistants.

As for the distribution of workers by economic activity, the results show that about 20% of the total workers are employed in public administration, defense and social security, followed by the second-class workers in the wholesale and retail trade at about 17%. The results show that 22.6% of male workers are in public administration and defense and about 19% are working in the trade sector. Concerning working females, it is noted that about 40% of them are employed in the education sector and 16% in the health and social work sector .The results also show that about 84% of the workers were paid employees (82% for males compared to 97% for females).

The results also indicate that the rate of crude economic participation (the work force attributed to the total population) is still low in Jordan at about 24.7%. The revised economic participation rate is (the work force attributed to the population 15 years and over) 63.7% for males compared with 13.8% for females in contrast with 63.9% for males and 14.4% for females in the first quarter of 2008.

As for the characteristics of the Jordanian work force, the results show a clear variance between males and females in terms of educational levels. It is found that about 59% of the total male labor force is below the secondary level compared to 13% for females. The results also indicate that 53% of the total labor force among females are a bachelor degree holders or higher compared with 19% among males.

It should be noted that the survey sample size was about 13 thousand families distributed all over the governorates of the Kingdom and representative of all urban and rural areas and regions.

Figure (1): The unemployment rates’ trends by sex and quarters 2006 – 2009

Figure (2): The unemployment rates for the first quarter and the annual rate for the years 2000 – first quarter of 2009

Note:1. The annual rate for 2004 was estimated on the basis of the average unemployment rates for the years 2003 and 2005 noting that the survey was implemented once during May 2004, its data is not representative at the annual level.

Figure (3): The unemployment rates by sex (1993 – 2008)

Note: 1. The annual rate for 2004 was estimated on the basis of the average unemployment rates for the years 2003 and 2005 noting that the survey was implemented once during May 2004; its data is not representative at the annual level.