Ammon News - Unemployment among Jordanians rose by 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 to reach 24.7 percent, according to official figures.

In its quarterly report on the unemployment rate in the Kingdom, the Department of Statistics said, on Monday, that the unemployment rate among males during the fourth quarter of 2020 went up by 4.9 percentage points to reach 22.6 percent, while the rate among females increased by 8.7 percentage points to reach 32.8 percent compared to the same period of 2019.

Comparing the unemployment rate for the fourth quarter with the third quarter of 2020, the report indicated a 0.8-percent uptick, with an increase of 1.4 percentage points for males and a decrease of 0.8 percentage points for females.

The unemployment rate among university degree holders (unemployed individuals holding a bachelor’s or higher degree divided by the workforce of the same academic qualification), also went up reaching 27.8 percent compared to other educational levels. The results also indicate that 51.1 percent of unemployed people hold a secondary education certificate or a higher qualification.

As for age groups, the unemployment rate for the age groups 15-19 and 20-24 years was the highest at 62.1 percent and 47.9 percent, respectively.

The report showed a clear disparity in the distribution of the labor force according to educational level and gender, with 58.4 percent of the total male labor force holding a secondary education certificate compared to only 9.9 percent for females.

The results also indicated that 70.9 percent of the total workforce of females hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 24.7 percent of males.

The labor force survey, with its new methodology, included a sample of about 16,000 families across the Kingdom, and is representative of the urban and rural areas and governorates. The survey is carried out in the middle of each quarter of the year and provides data that reflect the reality of the whole quarter. Individuals are asked about job hunting in the four previous weeks prior to the interview in accordance with international recommendations adopted in the Kingdom.