Unemployment, low pay: Tamkeen reports labour market imbalances in Jordan

AMMAN — Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights Organisation revealed that the local labour market still suffers a high level of imbalances, pointing that around half of the labour force in Jordan is not included in the social security system.

During the launch ceremony of its latest evaluation of social protection coverage in the most vulnerable sectors of Jordan’s labour market, Tamkeen reflected the low pay rates and the challenges faced by workers amid difficult economic conditions.

The evaluation is based on a field survey and information provided by 7938 female and male workers.

Using official figures, Tamkeen said that the absolute poverty line of a standard family in Jordan (4.8 persons) has reached JD480.

According to the survey, 34.9 per cent of respondents receive a monthly pay-check less than JD260, while 16.4 per cent of respondents are paid the minimum wage rate.

Moreover, it showed that the majority of respondents are not members of labour unions or associations, accounting for about 97.7 per cent of the sample.

Further, the survey found that workers who are paid JD261-JD350 accounted for around 36.7 per cent of the total 7938 respondents, adding that workers with a salary between JD351 and JD500 make up about 10.5 per cent.

The organisation’s director Linda Kalash said that “a large portion of workers are getting paid less than the minimum wage or equal…and they continue to face endless challenges.” 

Adding that low wage rates are among the main reasons for increased unemployment in the Kingdom, whereas Jordanians refuse working low-wage jobs as such jobs fail to meet their most basic living requirements.