Promoting youth employment and empowerment of young women in Jordan: An assessment of active labour market policies

This report contributes to building consensus around the role of evidence-based active labour market policies (ALMPs) in promoting decent jobs for youth and empowerment of young women in Jordan. It identifies key barriers faced by young people in Jordan in their efforts to enter the labour market. Subsequently, it compares the current landscape of ALMPs for young people with global good practice and those barriers which are specific to Jordan. The report concludes with recommendations for policy-makers and programme implementers, aimed at making ALMPs in Jordan more effective at reducing youth unemployment and mismatches between jobs and skills. The goal is to enable young people to work in higher quality jobs with better working conditions, including increasing access to social protection and opportunities to participate in social dialogue.

Comparing the current landscape of ALMPs in Jordan with global evidence and the local challenges facing young people on the labour market yields five main recommendations for policy-makers and practitioners:

I. Prioritize investments in decent jobs for young people
II. Improve the labour market opportunities of young women, especially those in rural areas
III. Design ALMPs with an eye to global good practice and adapt them to local challenges
IV. Improve the labour market access of refugees while safeguarding working conditions
V. Promote evidence-based programming of ALMPs through a culture of monitoring, evaluation and learning