Unemployment rises to 14.7% in Q2

AMMAN — Unemployment stood at 14.7 per cent during the second quarter of 2016, a rise of 2.8 points compared to the same period in 2015, the Department of Statistics (DoS) said on Monday. 

The DoS figures were based on a survey with a sample of 13,000 families across Jordan. 

Participants were asked if they had looked for a job in the previous four weeks, in line with international recommendations for surveying unemployment.  

Unemployment among males stood at 13 per cent during the second quarter, according to the report, while 23 per cent of women surveyed were unemployed. 

The report also indicated a rise in unemployment among university graduates to 18.6 per cent.  

Some 50 per cent of unemployed Jordanians hold the General Secondary Education Certificate or a higher qualification.

Meanwhile, unemployment among male BA holders stood at 21.4 per cent, compared with 70 per cent for females.