Jordan: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Jordan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) rose 0.18 percentage points on 2023 (from 16.62% to 16.8%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +0.14 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.27 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.85 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.64 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 22% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Jordan had the 3rd highest value of the 23 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Jordan in the 2024 ranking

• South Africa — 1st of 23: 32.28%
• Botswana — 2nd of 23: 24.43%
• Malawi — 4th of 23: 15.41%
• Montenegro — 5th of 23: 11.53%
• Kosovo — 6th of 23: 10.83%

What this measures

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 30 values

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Algeria — 11.71% (2017)
• Bahrain — 0.89% (2015)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 5.95% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 7.63% (2024)
• Israel — 3% (2025)
• Kuwait — 2.16% (2016)
• Malta — 3.05% (2025)
• Morocco — 11.79% (2022)
• Oman — 3.3% (2024)

More social protection & labor data for Jordan

• Net migration — -303,267 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 436,226 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 5,471 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 12.51% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 37.89% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 25.24% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 17.26% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Jordan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)?

16.8% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1983?

It is up 10.2 percentage points from 6.6% in 1983. The highest value was 19.84% in 2021 and the lowest 6.6% in 1983.

How does Jordan rank?

3rd highest of 23 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) unusual for Jordan?

In 2024, Jordan's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) rose 0.18 percentage points on 2023 (from 16.62% to 16.8%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +0.14 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.27 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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