Decent Work Country Profile - Jordan (Pre-publication draft)

Over the course of the past decade, the Jordanian government has pursued national strategies based upon a free-market developmental vision, designed to reduce poverty and boost economic growth, employment and human development. In certain areas, such endeavours have delivered positive results in improving the overall context and preconditions for decent work. In particular, growth rates were strong up until the 2008 global economic and financial crisis (since when it has remained significantly lower), while shrinking wage inequality has offered hope that growth is becoming more equitable too. Education and literacy rates, two important pre-requisites for a sustainable and balanced development path, have also increased markedly over the past decade, and both are likely to bode well for the prospects of the labour market and decent work in the future. At the same time, development efforts have occurred within a context of significant social and economic challenges, both domestic and external. While the combination of a young population with high population growth rates and a large migrant population has made job creation a major political and developmental challenge, Jordan has also been severely affected by a number of regional and global events. This Decent Work Country Profile for Jordan seeks to elaborate on the nature and extent of both these challenges and the recent achievements made, through an assessment of progress toward decent work. Using a combination of statistical and legal framework indicators, the profile covers ten thematic areas ranging from employment opportunities to social dialogue, working hours to social security. It is designed to aid policymakers and development partners in appropriate policy planning aimed at delivering decent work, inclusive development and poverty reduction.