Jordan Times
Monday, May 31, 1999
Unemployment survey results to be released in July
AMMAN (J.T.) — The Department of Statistics will publish the results of a survey about unemployment in Jordan and the general situation of the labour market in July. The report will also include figures about the guest workers in the Kingdom, Hussein Shakhatreh, the department director general, said on Sunday.
Shakhatreh said in a statement to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that his department, which began the survey in mid-May, has completed a survey in the northern and the central govenorates of the Kingdom and is currently involved in surveying the governorates of Zarqa, Madaba and Balqa'a. The process should be complete in early June.
The l999 survey covers 15,000 randomly selected families in different governorates, Shakhatreh noted.
Official estimates have put Jordan's unemployment rate at 16 per cent but unofficial estimates assert that unemployment is as high as 27 per cent.
Shakhatreh added that the results of the survey, which will provide data on the demographic, social and economic status of Jordan's population, will be of vital importance to decision-makers. The survey provides data on household members, their age, marital status, level of education, those working or unemployed among them and whether they (the unemployed) have been trying to find jobs or are inclined to accept any jobs they may find.
The survey will also shed light on unemployment's causes.
The Department of Statistics will on June 16 embark on a survey of economic installations in the Kingdom.
The survey, which is expected to cost JD850,000, will be conducted by a team of 320 trained researchers, according to the department which said that the results of this survey will not be published before the middle of next year.
This survey aims at determining the number of economic installations in Jordan, their type (whether agricultural, industrial or other) and their distribution throughout the country.
The survey will indicate whether the installations are run by private or public organisations, their revenues and other relevant data.