Growth, Macroeconomic Policies and Employment: The impact of macroeconomic and trade policies on employment generation in Jordan

Building on a secondary analysis of national policies and available data and statistics, this report aims to assess the extent to which fiscal, investment and trade policies have helped or hindered decent and productive job creation in Jordan.

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Despite efforts to promote diversification and inclusive growth, economic growth in Jordan has proved to be highly susceptible to external shocks. The structure of the economy and the composition of growth are inherently vulnerable because of high levels of government debt, excessive reliance on FDI, foreign aid and workers’ remittances, together with a reliance on expensive fossil fuel imports and a high concentration of export markets.

Policymakers in Jordan have often focused excessively on controlling macroeconomic variables and navigating through the impacts of external shocks rather than enhancing economic growth and boosting employment generation.

That said, effective and pro-employment macroeconomic, investment and trade policies are critical for addressing the problem of youth unemployment in Jordan. Such policies should aim to create high-value-added jobs that are attractive to the increasingly educated young population.