Ammon News -

The unemployment rate stood at 23.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2020, up by 3.8 per cent compared with the same period of 2019, the Department of Statistics (DoS) said on Monday.

Unemployment among men in the reporting period rose by 4.1 per cent to reach 21.2 percent while it reached 33.6 among females, up by 6.1 percent, the data revealed.

The joblessness rate among university degree holders stood at 27.7 per cent, the DoS said, noting that 53.1 per cent of unemployed individuals hold a secondary school certificate and higher.

Further, the department indicated that 46.9 per cent of unemployed people hold educational qualifications that are lower than a secondary certificate.

The highest unemployment rate was recorded in the 15-19 and 20-24 age groups, reaching 53.1 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively.

At the governorate level, the highest unemployment rate was recorded in the Tafila governorate, at 28.5 per cent, and the lowest was in Karak, at 18.4 per cent.

Additionally, the results also showed a "clear disparity" in the labor force among males and females in relation to their educational level, where 59.2 per cent of the total male labor force is below the secondary educational level against 10.5 per cent for females.