Jordan Times
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Unemployment down to 12.5% — survey
By Khalid Dalal
AMMAN — A recent government survey revealed that the current unemployment rate
among citizens stands at 12.5 per cent, compared to 14.5 per cent last year, a
senior official announced Tuesday.
Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader told reporters after a
Cabinet session that the 2004 Workforce and Unemployment Survey, conducted by
the Department of Statistics, showed that unemployment among males stands at
11.8 per cent and 16.5 per cent among females. She gave no further details.
Last week, the National Conference on Poverty and Unemployment concluded here
with participants from public and private sectors calling for more efforts to
explore new markets for qualified and skilled Jordanians, especially in the Gulf
states.
Creating a database to specify the annual demand and supply of workforce in the
domestic market was also recommended.
Earlier this month, the government said that poverty rate in the Kingdom dropped
from 21.3 per cent in 1997 to 14.2 per cent in 2002.
The figures highlighted the latest findings on poverty indicators over the
five-year period.