Jordan's labor market is approaching one of the central targets of its Economic Modernization Vision, with net job creation for Jordanians reaching 87,617 in 2025, according to labor market data. The figure marks the third consecutive year of strong job creation and brings the economy closer to the Vision's goal of generating approximately 100,000 jobs annually.
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Jordanians accounted for about 91 percent of net new job creation during the year, while 46,719 of the new positions were created in the second half of 2025 alone.
Economists told Al-Ghad that these results mark the early stages of the Economic Modernization Vision translating its objectives into measurable outcomes, and reflect a shift in the labor market's capacity to generate jobs at levels not seen in recent years. They said sustaining this pace despite regional economic pressures points to an improved ability to absorb young workers and graduates, with the private sector and new investment playing a central role.
Current Job Creation Far Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels
Hamada Abu Najmeh, former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Labor and director of the Jordanian Labor Observatory, said the modernization vision's real achievement so far lies in transforming the labor market's capacity to generate jobs to levels that were previously unattainable. He said the next phase requires pushing that achievement into an upward trajectory, surpassing 100,000 new jobs annually while also focusing on job quality and sustainability.
Abu Najmeh said the 2025 figures represent a significant jump compared to pre-pandemic years, when annual job creation typically did not exceed 40,000, reaching 42,036 in 2019 and 38,906 in 2018. He credited government policy, the modernization vision's programs, and labor market regulation efforts with strengthening the economy's capacity to sustain these higher levels. He said the central challenge ahead is keeping pace with the large number of young people and job seekers entering the labor market each year.
Economists Say Distribution of Jobs Matters as Much as Total Numbers
Ahmad Awad, director of the Phoenix Center for Economic and Social Studies, said the 2025 figures carry significant positive signals, both in the total number of new jobs and in how they are distributed. He noted that Jordanians and young workers accounted for the largest share of new positions, reflecting improved absorption of graduates into the labor market.
Awad said the modernization vision has set employment as a top priority, aiming to integrate approximately one million young men and women into the labor market over a decade, equivalent to about 100,000 jobs per year. He said approaching that figure now is an important sign the vision is beginning to deliver results, particularly given recent regional economic challenges.
Awad said Jordan's economy has the potential to create even more jobs in coming years as modernization vision projects expand, particularly in industry, tourism, agriculture and value-added services. He cautioned, however, that maintaining current job creation levels alone will not be enough to meet long-term targets, and that the next phase requires moving to a higher, sustained growth trajectory.
Private Sector Drove Nearly Three-Quarters of New Jobs
Munir Diya, an economist, said the projected net creation of approximately 87,100 jobs in 2025 represents a notable achievement given ongoing regional and global economic pressures, reflecting the resilience of Jordan's economy and its continued commitment to the modernization vision's goals.
Diya said the private sector generated approximately 73 percent of net new jobs, underscoring its role as the primary driver of employment and reinforcing the importance of continued public-private partnership and efforts to remove obstacles to investment.
He said the results also reflect the growing impact of major infrastructure and public-private partnership projects, particularly in water, energy and services, which he described as key drivers of both growth and employment. He said sustaining momentum on reform, investment and private sector partnership will accelerate progress toward the vision's broader employment goals.
Source: Al-Ghad.
