Policy Briefs
School-To-Work Transition in Jordan, 2010-2025
No.
PB 164
Publisher
ERF
Date
June, 2026
In a nutshell
- Despite gains in educational attainment, rising unemployment and inactivity among youth are pressing concerns in the Jordanian labor market.
- In 2025, nearly 40 percent of Jordanian youth aged 15–29 were not in education, employment, or training (NEET), reflecting untapped human capital.
- Recently graduating cohorts are taking longer on average to secure a first job compared with older cohorts, with less educated men being particularly disadvantaged.
- First jobs are increasingly precarious, with a higher share of youth entering the labor market for the first time in informal jobs.
- Misalignment between education and job requirements remains evident in Jordan’s youth labor market, with overeducation persisting especially among women, more educated workers, and those employed in the informal sector.
Authors
Marian Atallah
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics and Political...
Speakers
Halah Alattas
Assistant Professor of Economics, Faculty of Economics...