Jordan’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 16.1 Percent in Second Quarter
Jordan’s unemployment rate for the total population fell to 16.1 percent in the second quarter of 2026, down 0.4 percentage points from 16.5 percent in the second quarter of 2025, and unchanged from the first quarter of 2026, according to Jordan’s Department of Statistics.
Jordanian Female Unemployment Fell as Male Unemployment Rose
Among Jordanians specifically, the unemployment rate for males and females combined was 21.0 percent in the second quarter, down 0.3 percentage points from 21.3 percent a year earlier. The two sexes moved in opposite directions: Jordanian female unemployment fell to 30.3 percent, down 2.5 percentage points from a year earlier, while Jordanian male unemployment rose to 18.5 percent, up 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier, the statistics department said. The Jordanian male rate remains 4.2 percentage points below the 22.7 percent recorded 5 years earlier, in the second quarter of 2021, a longer-run comparison also given in the release. For the population as a whole, including non-Jordanians, female unemployment stood at 19.9 percent, down 5.3 percentage points from a year earlier.
Jordanians Face a Much Higher Unemployment Rate as Overall Participation Falls
The unemployment rate among non-Jordanian residents was 8.2 percent in the second quarter, well below the 21.0 percent rate among Jordanians, a gap of 12.8 percentage points, on our calculation. Among people aged 24 and older, the unemployment rate was 18.0 percent for Jordanians and 5.8 percent for non-Jordanians. Jordan’s total unemployment rate has fallen 1.7 percentage points over the past 4 years, from the second quarter of 2022. The overall labor force participation rate, which measures the share of the working age population employed or looking for work, fell to 39.0 percent in the second quarter from 39.9 percent a year earlier, even as Jordanian specific participation rose to 34.3 percent from 33.5 percent.
Why it matters: The lower headline unemployment rate points to gradual improvement in Jordan’s labor market year on year, though it was unchanged from the prior quarter. The rate is also uneven beneath the surface: Jordanian female unemployment fell sharply even as Jordanian male unemployment rose, the persistent gap between Jordanian and non-Jordanian unemployment remains wide, and overall labor force participation fell, meaning a smaller share of the working age population was working or looking for work even as the unemployment rate improved.
Outlook: The Department of Statistics will publish its next quarterly labor force update after the third quarter of 2026 closes, which will show whether the year on year improvement continues and whether the quarter on quarter stall breaks.
Source: Petra; Jordan’s Department of Statistics
