Jordan Times
Tuesday, August 25, 1998
Study reveals 10-15 per cent unemployment rate among 1993-1997 medical
graduates
AMMAN (J.T.) — According To a most recent study prepared by the
Jordan Medical Association, unemployment among doctors who have graduated less than four
years ago, or between 1993 and 1997, is in the range of 10-15 per cent. Basem Kiswani who
conducted the study, explained to the Jordan Times that seven per cent of those unemployed
did not have private clinics and were operating from their homes.
Kiswani indicated that a sample of doctors who graduated in 1997 were polled and the
result was an unemployment rate of between five and eight per cent among this category.
Disguised unemployment was about 8.5 per cent for specialists and between 15 and 20 per
cent for general practitioners, Kiswani pointed out noting that a three per cent error
margin should be taken into consideration.
The study said that there is a misconception among the people in general concerning the
high income of medical doctors. “The study shows that those with high income do not
exceed five per cent of all the doctors and this is a limited percentage,” Kiswani
said.
He attributed the rise in unemployment to the high number of graduates during the 80s and
90s at a time when the Arab Gulf states were absorbing less numbers of medical graduates.
“Then came the Gulf crisis which resulted in the return of large numbers of Jordanian
doctors to the Kingdom to work in the private sector,” the study explained.
“Most fresh graduates are awaiting employment at the Ministry of Health and Medical
Care or other public institutions while others are opening private clinics which do not
generate a suitable income for a profession of a doctor,” the study said in
explaining the aspect of disguised unemployment. The study added: “What made things
worse was the halt to appointments in various ministries in addition to the decline in the
number of government doctors who seek retirement or early retirement.”